By: Hans Themistode
Former longtime UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley stood back and watched as his good friend Ben Askren was dealt a first-round knockout loss at the hands of Jake Paul. Quickly following the defeat, Woodley dared Paul to get into the ring with him next. Now, he’ll get his chance.
As first reported by Mike Coppinger of The Athletic, both Woodley and Paul have agreed to terms on a showdown. As of now, neither an exact date nor location has been set but, the framework for a deal has been consummated.
Woodley, 39, who holds a 19-7 MMA record, held the welterweight crown from 2016-2019 until he was defeated by current belt holder, Kamaru Usman. Although he’s widely considered as one of the best mixed martial artists of all time, Woodley is currently riding a four-fight losing streak and was brutally knocked out in the first round against Vicente Luque earlier this year.
As for Paul, the YouTuber turned defacto boxer, has scored three wins in a row since turning pro, all coming via first-round stoppage. In his most recent ring appearance, as mentioned earlier, Paul easily dispatched of Ben Askren. While Paul’s contests have taken place on DAZN and Triller, with the social media star signing with Showtime earlier this year, his showdown against Woodley is set to take place on the platform.
While Paul hasn’t faced the toughest of opposition, he openly admitted that Woodley will be his toughest test by far.
“This will be the biggest fight yet,” said Paul. “This will be the hardest fight I’ve had, the toughest opponent by far, the most known opponent. We will break another boxing PPV record.”