UFC boss Dana White has branded the promotion behind Jake Paul fights a “f***ing circus” and a “freak show.”
White praised the YouTube star for cashing in on his fame with professional boxing fights, but laughed off suggestions he could cut it in UFC.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: This kid’s done a good job of putting himself in a place to make some money, man,” White said after UFC 261.
“So, good for him. He’s got you guys talking about him all the time and asking questions about him. He’s got Daniel Cormier running after him, so he’s doing something right.”
Paul won his third professional fight with a knockout of MMA star Ben Askren, but White was seemingly not impressed with Paul in the ring.
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“He knocked out an NBA guy that was 40 years old and 30 pounds less than him,” White said.
“I don’t even know what to think about the Askren thing. The whole thing is f***ing mind-boggling to me, but good for him. Grab that money while you can, kid.”
White also dismissed claims that Paul’s pay-per-view figures for the fight with Askren did 1.5 million buys and cast doubt on Paul’s ability to cope with the UFC.
“Do you know what would happen to this guy – he ain’t fighting in the UFC,” White said
“You’re getting me f***ing talking about this guy again. He’s getting handpicked opponents, and god knows what else is going on with that whole f***ing thing. There is a market for that. That’s not what I do.
“People want to see that, and it’s great, and this kid’s going to make a couple bucks before this ride is over. It’s just not what I do. What I do is what happened tonight.
“What happened tonight is we sold this place out and it was packed, and the numbers that you’re hearing that they did are full of s**t. They’re full of s**t. They didn’t pull those kind of numbers. At all. Not even f***ing close.”
And White also took a shot at the Triller Fight Club that puts on the Paul fights.
“That’s a f***ing circus. None of that is real. Do you think any of that s**t that’s going on over there is real? C’mon, man. I built a real business here, a real sport,” he said.
The Independent has contacted Triller Fight Club for comment.
