Jake Paul wants to see the numbers before entertaining the idea of a boxing match against former UFC champion Vitor Belfort.
The YouTube star-turned professional boxer is skeptical that Triller has the $30 million they hung in front of Paul for a showdown against Belfort. Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh and Belfort offered Paul $30 million for a fight immediately after Belfort stopped 58-year-old Evander Holyfield in the main event of Saturday’s Triller Fight Club in South Florida.
Paul, who’s now with Showtime Boxing, but fought under the Triller banner in the past, was surprised by the callout and also the sum that was thrown out for the potential fight.
“I honestly didn’t think that was coming,” Paul told Ariel Helwani. “It’s surprising because let’s be honest, we know they don’t have that money to put up.
“It’s smart on their end because they get the clout, now we’re talking about them, now we’re talking about Vitor – but that’s how this industry works, right. We know that they don’t have that money. It’s very outlandish for them to say that. If they showed proof of funds and put the money into a bank account, it would be a whole different story, but we worked with them and we know that they don’t have that much money.”
Although Paul is skeptical, he’s not closed to the idea of fighting a 44-year-old Belfort if they’re able to work out a deal between the two promotions. The name of Belfort doesn’t interest him too much, but if Triller can show proof of the $30 million, then Paul would be interested in taking the offer.
“Like you were saying, Vitor is not that big of a name,” Paul said. “He just isn’t. He’s not even as big of a name as Tyron (Woodley). I’m trying to get bigger with each of these fights. I’m trying to get more of a challenge.
“I think Vitor is a lot easier of a fight than Tyron. He’s older, he’s on steroids and such. It doesn’t excite me as much. The money excited me. If they were to put the money in a bank account – an escrow account – and show proof, then maybe that’s where the conversation starts.”
Paul is coming off a decision win over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley last month. It was his first fight since switching from Triller to Showtime Boxing. He remains unbeaten as a professional boxer.
Belfort, on the other hand, competed for the first time this past Saturday since leaving the UFC in 2018. The Brazilian is a former UFC light heavyweight champion with 41 MMA fights under his belt. The bout against Holyfield marked his return to boxing, as he had only competed once before, picking up a TKO win in 2006 over Josemario Neves.