Jake Paul‘s knockout loss to Anthony Joshua sent the combat sports world into a frenzy. Several current and former UFC fighters weighed in, reacting to the knockout and the fight as a whole. Some were critical of the overall quality, while others bashed Paul for his performance.
Paul faced Joshua in last night’s main event, which streamed live on Netflix. The former heavyweight champion’s skills and experience were on full display. Although he took a while before taking the fight to Paul, he eventually knocked him down several times.
Joshua delivered a powerful right hand that dropped Paul and secured a 6th round knockout victory. Despite making it to the 6th round, many current and former UFC fighters weren’t so complimentary.
“This is a clown show,” former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling wrote on X.
“Jake Paul shot more double-legs in a boxing match than I did in my entire UFC career,” former UFC fighter Diana Belbita wrote.
“I’ve never seen so many double-legs in a boxing match,” UFC featherweight Josh Emmett wrote.
“Jake Paul is already proving that boxing as a sport is kinda [expletive] if you just refuse to play the game,” wrote former UFC competitor Kevin Lee.
Paul’s former opponent Nate Diaz also chimed in, taking a shot at him by questioning his preparation.
“Dat boy don’t work hard enough,” Diaz wrote on X.
Most Valuable Promotions CEO Fires Back at Jake Paul’s Critics
Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, fired back at Paul’s critics following his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. He defended his client from ridicule by highlighting the positives from his performance.
Bidarian pointed out that Paul lasted much longer than anyone thought he would. He believes Paul even won rounds against the former heavyweight champion, which he considers a remarkable feat.
Bidarian also highlighted Paul’s toughness and determination to continue fighting despite being knocked down.
“[Paul] fell from a flush right hand that broke his jaw, said whoa, and still managed to get to his feet before the ref called the fight. Coming in, everyone, including Eddie Hearn and Anthony Joshua said one or two rounds max or it’s a failure,” Bidarian wrote on X. “Now it’s we took the time to break him down…It is what it is.”
He continued:
“[Paul] made AJ miss multiple times. That itself was impressive. Moreover he landed on a man who had every advantage. Great lessons were learned.”
Bidarian Praises Paul’s Boxing Journey
Bidarian also praised Paul’s boxing journey ahead of his main event clash with Joshua. The MVP CEO noted that his career is unique and should be respected for what he has accomplished.
Paul’s career has essentially come full circle, as he began on a Matchroom Boxing card and has now fought their biggest star.
“[Paul] started his pro boxing career in Miami as the co-main of a Matchroom card. Made over $3M dollars. Now 13 fights later, [Paul] has Eddie Hear and his ‘biggest superstar’ Anthony Joshua under his MVPs promotion and he’s the A-side,” Bidarian wrote on X.
He added:
“No matter what happens tonight, [Paul] has already won. Hate it or love it, you have to respect it.”
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