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Well, Jake Paul didn’t see this coming, did he?
The social media influencer/combat sports instigator took another trip through the ropes and into the ring—this time in front of 15,000 fans at an outdoor venue in Saudi Arabia—but saw his brand tarnished thanks to a split-decision loss to British wannabe Tommy Fury.
The loss was the first after six straight wins for Paul, who began a now-three-year second career with a fellow YouTuber before graduating to an ex-NBA player and three declining/retired MMA fighters (Tyron Woodley twice) across four subsequent fights.
The date with Fury, half-brother to heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, was seen by some as a step toward legitimacy for Paul thanks to Fury’s own unbeaten record. Though inspection of that record shows his previous opponents arrived with a combined 24-176-5 mark.
Nevertheless, it was a difficult step, as Paul was frequently speared with hard jabs and hit with counters by Fury, who both threw (302-157) and landed (88-49) in much higher volume.
It leaves the immediate future in some doubt for the self-dubbed “Problem Child,” whose contract with Fury didn’t include a rematch clause if he’d won but does leave the option open now that he’s been defeated.
The surprise result prompted the B/R combat writing team to survey the landscape and suggest some options that’ll make varying levels of sense.
Scroll through to see what we came up with and drop a thought of your own in the comments.
The 4 Best Opponents for Jake Paul’s Next Fight
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