Jake Paul’s recent WBA ranking and pursuit of a world title continues to divide opinion in the boxing community.
Paul moved a sizable step closer to his ambitious boxing goals in late June, as the polarizing YouTuber-turned-pugilist extended his professional record to 12-1.
At Anaheim’s Honda Center, Paul defeated former champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., a result that came months on from the Cleveland native’s controversial win over Mike Tyson on Netflix.
As a result of his latest performance, Paul has been ranked by the WBA in the cruiserweight top 15. ‘The Problem Child’ is now among the options for the champion, and that bout was potentially set up when Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez faced off with Paul after he defended his titles against Yuniel Dorticos on June 28.
Suffice to say, the WBA’s decision and talk of Paul challenging for legitimate boxing gold has caused an uproar in some corners of the combat sports community. One prominent UFC figure, however, sees things differently.
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Chael Sonnen supports Jake Paul’s claim to a world title shot
During a video recently uploaded to his YouTube channel, former two-division UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen defended Paul against claims he isn’t worthy of a title shot.
‘The Bad Guy’ cited the upcoming return of Manny Pacquiao, claiming that if the boxing legend is “eligible” for a championship fight right now, then Paul absolutely should be.
“I’m like, ‘Goodness, this has got to be an old message,'” Sonnen said of a social media post he saw regarding Pacquiao’s comeback. “A commission would need to give an explanation, or stop with the misguided, ‘Our number one job is fighter safety.’
“Manny has not fought in four years…and the fight that he’s doing is at the MGM in a main event for the championship. … So Manny has not fought in four years, Jake Paul has held a normal schedule…Jake Paul should not be eligible to fight for a world title?
“My question is a very simple one: why does Manny Pacquiao — why is that an accepted world title fight because of past experiences, while Jake Paul is a resisted world title fight because his opponents’ past experiences don’t matter?
“Is there anybody in any weight class that’s ranked No. 14 who you would like to bring forward as having a more impressive record than Jake’s? Do you have anybody?” Sonnen continued. “Anybody that you feel could match the accomplishments of Jake?”
Four years on from his last professional bout, Pacquiao is set to return from retirement to challenge Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight championship on July 19 in Las Vegas.
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Jake Paul’s latest focus was on history-making promotion
Shortly after his latest triumph in the boxing ring, Paul’s attention turned away from his active career in the ring and onto his promotion’s history-making night at Madison Square Garden.
On Friday, July 11, Most Valuable Promotions staged an all-female card at the iconic New York City venue, headlined by the highly anticipated trilogy fight between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano.
After another enthralling contest, Taylor emerged victorious via unanimous decision to extend her lead over Serrano to 3-0 and successfully defend the undisputed super-lightweight championship.
Paul watched from ringside and had a short but emphatic reaction as the two women once again fought out a close and competitive contest.
“Women won tonight. Congratulations,” Paul wrote on X.