YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has appeared to hint that negotiations are underway for him to face controversial Internet personality Andrew Tate.
Last month in Arizona, Paul extended his presence on the mainstream combat sports scene by adding a sixth victory to his professional record. What started out as a venture into the ring to face fellow online stars and notable sportsmen has since developed into a stint that’s seen Paul collide with mixed martial artists.
And having previously knocked out both Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley, Paul secured his biggest win to date when he shared the squared circle with former UFC middleweight king Anderson Silva in the headliner of a Showtime pay-per-view.
As well as outpointing “The Spider” across eight rounds, “The Problem Child” also secured a late knockdown against the man widely considered to be the greatest MMA striker of all time.
Unsurprisingly, talk has quickly turned to who Paul could face in his seventh professional fight as his pursuit of further legitimizing his place in the sport continues. While he’d previously targeted a showdown with an established pro-boxer, the Cleveland native appeared to set his sights on Nate Diaz.
Following his victory over Silva, Paul called out the Stockton native in the ring, with a backstage altercation between Diaz’s entourage and members of Paul’s team further stoking the fire.
Despite that, though, Paul’s latest teaser has pointed to a different notable figure — and certainly a more controversial one…
Paul Hints At “Negotiations” For Tate Fight
While he’d previously caused controversy in the United Kingdom following a brief stint on the reality series Big Brother, former kickboxer Andrew Tate has risen to immense prominence in 2022 as an Internet personality.
Tate, who was known as “Cobra” during his fighting days, has been the subject of intense scrutiny for some of the views he’s shared online, with the American-Brit being widely branded a misogynist. After a campaign for him to be de-platformed, Tate was permanently banned from Instagram and Facebook.
Prior to his controversial status as an influencer, Tate found some success in kickboxing, winning an ISKA world title. Given his notoriety and past experience in combat sports, some have pointed to Tate as a possible opponent for Paul.
While “The Problem Child” initially dismissed that notion, claiming not to know who Tate was, rumors have persisted, with the polarizing 35-year-old even hinting that negotiations were underway a few months ago.
“I know everyone wants that,” Tate replied when asked about a fight with either one of the Paul brothers on a Twitch stream with Adin Ross. “These are sophisticated negotiations that involve a lot of parties so we shouldn’t be talking about it on here.” (h/t Mirror Fighting)
Now, Paul has provided his own teaser on social media with a video of the pair having a faceoff next to a boxing ring. The caption simply reads: “Negotiations.”
Paul is currently in Dubai as a special guest for the Global Titans Fight Series event this Sunday, which will be headlined by Floyd Mayweather and British YouTuber Deji.
Would Andrew Tate be a smart next opponent for Jake Paul?