Jake Paul had no trouble handling the legendary Mike Tyson last fall, but even after surviving \u2014 and beating \u2014 one of the sport\u2019s most feared icons, there\u2019s one fighter he openly admits he won\u2019t face.<\/p>\n
Paul, who outpointed Tyson by unanimous decision in their eight-round heavyweight showcase at AT&T Stadium, walked away from that November 2024 spectacle brimming with confidence. Yet as he looks ahead to the biggest challenge of his career \u2014 stepping in as a sizable underdog against two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Dec. 19 in Miami \u2014 he\u2019s also drawing a clear line on where his ambitions stop.<\/p>\n
And that line is named David \u201cEl Monstruo\u201d Benavidez.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a very short list of people that I wouldn\u2019t step into the ring with, and Benavidez is on that list,\u201d Paul told ESPN<\/a>. Consider that a rare admission from a fighter who has pursued names like Joshua, Canelo \u00c1lvarez, Gervonta Davis and Terence Crawford, without hesitation.<\/p>\n Paul has long called Benavidez his favorite fighter to watch, but admiration has turned into realism. He\u2019s seen enough from the undefeated WBC light heavyweight king to know that stylistically, the matchup would be a nightmare.<\/p>\n \u201cThat guy is different. His power, his speed, his cardio, his nonstop punching and relentless pressure,\u201d Paul said of Benavidez. \u201cYour punches don\u2019t mean s\u2014 to him. He has giant forearms that go from the bottom of his hip to the top of his head. You can\u2019t get through his guard.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite Paul often leaning into what he calls his \u201cdelusional optimism\u201d \u2014 the same mindset that pushed him to fight with a physically imposing force like Joshua \u2014 even he can\u2019t talk himself into believing there\u2019s a path past Benavidez.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can punch him all you want, but it\u2019s not affecting him,\u201d Paul said. \u201cSome people are just built different, and Benavidez is one of those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul hasn\u2019t shied away from discussing danger. On his \u201cBS w\/ Jake Paul\u201d podcast, he admitted<\/a> in 2024 that the heaviest shots he\u2019s endured didn\u2019t come from Tyson \u2014 but from Tommy Fury, who handed him his lone professional loss in 2023.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say Tommy Fury (hit hardest) because it\u2019s the shots you don\u2019t see. Tommy was a little tricky. Mike\u2019s punches I could see coming. He was strong, but he didn\u2019t land anything clean. So I honestly didn\u2019t feel Mike Tyson\u2019s full power, but that\u2019s good. You don\u2019t want to.\u201d<\/p>\n Preparing for Joshua, one of the era\u2019s most explosive knockout punchers, Paul has tried to replicate that danger in the gym. He has brought in hulking sparring partners like Jared Anderson and Lawrence Okolie to condition his body and sharpen his reactions.<\/p>\n \u201cI had to bring in giants because of this very physically demanding fight,\u201d Paul said. \u201cI had to get used to being punched by heavyweights while also adding muscle.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul shared on social media Thursday that his training includes hitting a heavy bag hard.<\/p>\n Upset incoming. Miami I arrive soon. Friday December 19th is my time. pic.twitter.com\/wMMhXnCuGt<\/a><\/p>\n