Michael Bisping defends Jake Paul for not taking "tough" boxing fights

UFC legend Michael Bisping defended Jake Paul for not taking “tough” fights, pointing to how “dangerous” combat sports can be regardless of whether someone is a newcomer or veteran. 

Jake Paul’s foray into the world of boxing has been met with pretty strong opinions over the last few years, both in support of his move and critics taking aim at the quality of his fights.

While the YouTuber-turned-boxer has been able to defeat former UFC fighters inside the ring, he has yet to take on a ‘real’ boxer that has grown up honing their skills in the sweet science. That has, naturally, drawn some criticism and claims that he’s ‘avoiding’ boxers in favor of fights where he may have the upper hand.

Michael Bisping, who Jake has traded verbal jabs with over the years, has always been quick to have his say on the YouTuber’s fights and claims, but even he can’t knock him for not taking “tough” fights.

The former UFC champion, who has been in talks to fight Jake before, posted a video on June 11, talking about the dangers of combat sports following the tragic death of South African boxer Simiso Buthelezi.

Pointing to the rise of influencer boxing events over the years, Bisping noted the sport remains “dangerous,” even for someone like Jake who has decent skills and a few fights under his belt.

“Yes, Jake Paul. Of course, Jake Paul, he’s boxing people these days but he’s being smart,” Bisping said. “He’s not looking for tough fights, is he? I don’t blame the guy because it’s very, very dangerous. It’s not for everybody.”

Timestamp of 2:30

Bisping further expanded on his point about the dangers of boxing, noting how “masses” and “YouTubers” want to get involved, but maybe don’t respect it enough.

As we’ve seen, some influencer events have taken safety precautions by using head guards to minimize the impact of strikes but others don’t. Who knows if that’ll change in the future.

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