WASHINGTON D.C. — Jake Paul expressed eagerness to compete against MMA icons Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal for his debut fight in PFL MMA.
The former Disney Channel actor leveraged his popularity online to become a novice boxer but has fought mostly inexperienced athletes in other sports, MMA champions, and inactive journeymen. And so if he were to fight Diaz or Masvidal in his very first match in mixed martial arts, it would be the toughest test of his fledgling fight career to date.
The 27-year-old spoke to GIVEMESPORT and other reporters this week at The Armory in Washington D.C., as the PFL ambassador built further interest in an upcoming heavyweight super-fight between the returning Francis Ngannou, and the reigning PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira on October 19 in Saudi Arabia.
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To GIVEMESPORT and other reporters Thursday, Paul said he’d extended a fight offer to Diaz.
“We’ve made offers. Nate Diaz ducked it. It’s just about having the right name. And I’m ready. I want an MMA fight. I think it would be super, super fun. I don’t think a boxer in their prime has gone over to MMA … I’m down but I just want a big name and a big fight.”
PFL signed Paul to a “two-part exclusive partnership” in 2023 when he agreed to “accelerate” the company’s PFL PPV Super Fight Division. He was also the first fighter signed to the division. It may well only be a matter of time before he fights in the organization, and by the sounds of it, he wants that first fight to be a challenge.
“I want to be one of the first to go over into MMA and take a massive risk and see my skills,” he said. “Bring out the old wrestling. I’m down.”
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Ngannou returns mid-October in a PFL debut of his own, when he takes on the 6-foot-8 Ferreira for his first MMA bout since 2021.
In a two-fight swing in boxing, Ngannou previously floored Tyson Fury in a shock 2023 image, before suffering a brutal second-round knockout against the resurgent Anthony Joshua the following year. It remains to be seen what punch resistance Ngannou has left after such a devastating loss, but he is motivated to keep fighting in memory of his late son Kobe, who passed away aged 15 months this year.
Paul commented on Ngannou on Thursday and said his former promoter, the UFC boss Dana White, was “scared” to “make that [fight] happen” with Jon Jones.
“He doesn’t want to lose his horst to Jon Jones. I love Jon Jones, but that is too much of a risk for Dana to take. Francis is one of the baddest, if not the baddest, man on the planet. I think Dana is scared and he doesn’t want to do that. But the MMA fans want that. Dana never does anything for the fans.”
Ngannou vs Ferreira takes place October 19 at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A women’s featherweight fight between Cris ‘Cyborg’ and Larissa Pacheco is the co-main.
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