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Paddy Pimblett has conceded Jake Paul is "smart" as the verbal war between the pair intensifies.
The saga kicked off last month after YouTuber Paul took his professional boxing record to 6-0 with a unanimous points win over UFC icon Anderson Silva. But Pimblett seemed less than impressed with Silva's apparent lack of intensity, and later suggested that Paul's "fights are fixed" to ensure he maintains his winning run.
The assertion incensed 'The Problem Child', who reacted by offering to fly Pimblett out for three five-minute rounds of sparring in Puerto Rico. He even promised the Scouse star a $1 million (£835,000) payday if he came out on top.
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'The Baddy' accepted the challenge, but only once his next bout is out of the way. Pimblett will be aiming for a fourth straight UFC win in his his lightweight showdown against Jared 'Flash' Gordon at UFC 282 this Saturday in Las Vegas.
The 27-year-old will be obliged to meet the 170-pound lightweight limit for that clash, suggesting he'd be giving weight away to Paul, who hit the scales at 186.5 pounds for his bout with Silva. But in a further dig at his new rival, he dismissed the notion that would scupper things, adding Paul "likes picking on smaller people anyway."
And now Pimblett has again addressed the saga in his latest YouTube channel episode, titled 'Let's talk about Jake Paul'. And he revealed the American would be going face-to-face with him after Christmas, virtually at least.
Are you backing 'Paddy the baddy' or 'The Problem Child' in a sparring session? Let us know in the comments section.
"Jake Paul's booked in to my podcast on the 5th January," he said, before implying the influencer knows how to maximise publicity. "He's not stupid he knows what he's doing, give him his due he's quite smart."
Pimblett isn't the first UFC fighter to be targeted by Paul. Four of his six wins thus far have come against opponents who formerly competed in MMA, and he's regularly mocked Conor McGregor on social media.
Pimblett's immediate concern though will be to put himself in the picture for a UFC title shot. His last victory, a second-round submission of Jordan Leavitt in July where he 'tea-bagged' his opponent in the aftermath, represented his third straight Performance of the Night award since joining Dana White's company.
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Paddy Pimblett welcomes Jake Paul's $1m offer to spar with him after 'fixed fight' claim
- Paddy Pimblett
- Jake Paul
- UFC
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