YouTube star Jake Paul is set to face off against UFC champ Tyron Woodley in just a few weeks’ time — but one MMA coach isn’t sure that the influencer will play by the rules.
Jake Paul has transformed from a full-time influencer to a professional boxer working his way through the ranks. After making his non-professional debut in 2018, Paul has gone on to rack up a 3-0 professional record.
Having defeated a fellow YouTuber, a former NBA player and a former Olympic mixed martial artist, Jake is now set to throw down with five-time UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley come August 29.
This upcoming match stands as Jake’s biggest challenge yet. Woodley, who was, up until recently, an active athlete in the UFC, is a formidable opponent for a YouTuber who hasn’t yet fought a real boxer… leading some experts to think Jake will juice up before the bell sounds.
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MMA coach and Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Firas Zahabi alleged that Jake Paul will be on steroids for his bout with Woodley to make up for what he lacks, as told during an interview with Bloody Elbow on August 10.
“I hate to say it, but I definitely think Jake Paul is going to be on PEDs,” Zahabi claimed. “It exists in the world of boxing, just like it exists in MMA. And I don’t think Tyron will be on PEDs. I think Tyron will be totally natural. Does it make a difference? It absolutely does.”
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“I didn’t want to mention it, but my number one factor — Jake Paul’s corner, they’re going to be on all sorts of substances,” he continued. “I don’t think they test. Maybe the week of the fight, there’s no USADA. I didn’t want to say, but I think that’s a major factor. When I say he’s bigger and stronger, and he’s more athletic, I think he’s basically on PEDs.”
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Jake Paul has yet to respond to Zahabi’s allegations at the time of writing, and thus far, there has been no evidence that the youngest Paul brother is on steroids — although this isn’t the first time he’s been accused of using them.
In May, rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine also claimed that Paul was juicing up after the YouTuber bragged that Tekashi “deserves to get his ass beat, and I want to do it for all the people he’s disrespected.”
However, it has ever been Paul’s MO to prove people wrong, and after challenging the likes of Conor McGregor, this YouTuber just isn’t giving up — and only time will tell if he’ll come out on top on August 29.