UFC chief Dana White has hit back at Jake Paul’s latest dig by claiming the YouTuber turned boxer ‘can’t sell pay-per-views’.
Paul has called out some of the biggest names in the UFC in recent weeks, including the likes of Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal.
And taking to social media once again, Paul promised to ‘immediately retire from boxing’ if White increased the pay in the UFC, and improve long-term healthcare for his fighters.
Writing on Twitter, Paul demanded: “Happy new year Dana White. Here is a real challenge for you… I will immediately retire from boxing and fight Jorge Masvidal in the UFC if you agree to:
“1) Increase min fighter pay per fight to $50K (it’s $12K now)
“2) Guarantee UFC fighters 50% of UFC annual revenues ($1bn in 2021)
“3) Provide longterm healthcare to all fighters (you previously said brain damage is part of the gig…imagine the NFL said that). There are many UFC alums who have publicly said they are suffering from brain damage
“You have 5 days to accept and to implement the above by March 31, 2022. Once implemented I will immediately retire from boxing, enter USADA and agree to a 1 fight deal with UFC to fight weak chin Jorge
“To all UFC fighters — time to take a stand and create value for yourselves and peers. You deserve higher pay, you deserve long term healthcare and above all you deserve freedom. Support each other.
“I am not your enemy, I am your advocate…who selfishly wants to KO a few of you to make some big bank.”
White has himself now taken to Twitter to respond to Paul’s list of demands, doubting whether the 24-year-old actually wrote the statement.
He also slammed the ‘Problem Child’ for calling out his UFC stars because Paul ‘can’t sell pay-per-views’ of his own.
White fired back: “That thing that you came out with today: nobody on earth thinks that you really wrote that. You’re too stupid.
“And for those of you that don’t know, if you’ve ever watched one of his fights and you see when they do the stare-down, the guy that’s standing in the middle with the warlock nose and the big warlock wart on his face, apparently that’s his manager and that guy used to be an accountant for me.
“And let’s just say this, he no longer works for me and I think he’s a scumbag.
“But if you two think that you can do it better than we do, that we’re doing this whole thing wrong, that you can treat the fighters better than we do, knock yourself out.
“Go start your own business. It’s easy to do, get the warlock on it. The warlock can get it started for you.
“What you and the warlock should be focused on is your business. You’re tanking. You can’t sell pay-per-views.
“You’re calling out Jorge Masvidal because he’s a pay-per-view superstar. Nate Diaz, Conor McGregor, Mike Tyson – these are all superstars.
“You’re not. You can’t sell pay-per-views.”