UFC legend Daniel Cormier did not take kindly to Jake Paul’s antics when the pair had a feisty face-off in 2021.
Paul is known to rile up all corners of the combat sports world, whether that is beating former UFC fighters, boxing legends, or announcing a ‘farcical’ exhibition fight against Gervonta Davis.
In his 13 fights, he has fought five different MMA competitors with a combined experience in the boxing ring of only six fights.
Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images for Netflix © 2024
A fight series with Tyron Woodley and a big knockout of Ben Askren were criticised by fans of mixed martial arts and legends like Cormier for taking advantage of their name value.
UFC legend Daniel Cormier reveals details of his feisty run-in with Jake Paul, ‘I don’t play like that’
DC even had a spat with ‘The Problem Child’ during the broadcast of the UFC 261 card, which featured Kamaru Usman taking on Jorge Masvidal in the main event.
Speaking to Shannon Sharpe, he revealed details of his encounter with the youngest Paul brother when he was doing commentary for the show.
Cormier said: “Jake Paul tried to mess with me for a while until I went up to him.
“I swear to God, I was at the commentary desk. I’m sitting there, he in the back making faces at me. I took my handset off. I put it down. I got up, walked right to where he was in the stands.
“I point right in his face. I said, ‘I’m not the children that you’re messing around with. I’m not going to play with you. Leave me alone’.”
The former heavyweight champion had retired just a year prior in 2020, following his trilogy fight with Stipe Miocic, but he would not be enticed by a clash with the influencer.
‘El Gallo’ has since shied away from competing against the other side of the combat sports divide and now opts for out-of-their-prime fighters, including Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, who he beat by unanimous decision in July.
He continued in the interview to say he only ‘respects’ Jon Jones for ‘playing with him’ because he can fight him, but he did not want to get sucked into the ‘childish’ games of the former Disney star.
Daniel Cormier explains why he warns UFC fighters not to face Jake Paul
While it can be a very lucrative opportunity to fight Paul in the boxing ring, the 2022 UFC Hall of Famer is among the first to discourage any MMA combatant from taking the bout.
This warning comes from watching his friends Woodley and Askren lose to the 28-year-old.
He continued: “Jake Paul’s a millionaire. Jake Paul’s not training at the local YMCA. He got real coaches. He’s got high-level coaches, and he lives to box now.
“He’s a boxer. He’s not that same kid. That’s why I keep telling those MMA guys, every time they tell me, ‘I got a chance to fight Jake Paul’. I’m like, ‘Man, don’t do it’.
“He’s a boxer. Do you know how to box? No. That’s not what we do.”
The influencer will instead turn his attention to the WBA lightweight champion, ‘Tank’ Davis, on November 14th in their highly controversial exhibition fight.