Tonight the world is finally going to see the boxing match that we’ve been waiting months for. Internet celebrity turned boxer Jake Paul (3-0) will have his toughest test to date as he takes on former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley (19-7-1 MMA).
This will be Woodley’s first professional boxing match. The former UFC welterweight champion fought out his contract earlier this year when he fought Vicente Luque in March. Woodley lost the fight to Luque which was his fourth consecutive loss.
At the beginning of 2019, Woodley was building his legacy as one of the greatest welterweights of all time. Then he lost his title and proceeded to finish out his UFC career having lost four fights in a row.
After Woodley lost his last fight, he was a free agent and could choose his next path. He decided to choose the path that put him in front of one of the most polarizing figures in all of combat sports, Jake Paul.
Jake Paul made his professional boxing debut in 2020 when he fought another YouTuber. From there, he’s made incremental steps up in competition. He’s fought a YouTuber, a former NBA player, and a former MMA world champion.
That champion was Tyron Woodley’s close friend Ben Askren. Askren and Paul had a boxing match in April and it didn’t go well for Askren. Jake Paul knocked him out in the first round. The seed was planted that night for a Paul and Woodley boxing match.
Boxing Preview: Who will win?
Part of me is still amazed that this boxing match is actually going to happen. When breaking down the fight, there are a number of different things to consider. One thing to consider is the fact that this is a pure boxing match.
Tyron Woodley has some highlight reel knockouts in the UFC. He definitely has power in his hands, but he’s not going to be able to use any form or wrestling tonight. In the UFC, Woodley’s hands looked even better than they were due to the fact that his opponents had to think about takedowns.
Jake Paul doesn’t have to think about that. All Jake Paul has to think about is the boxing skills of Tyron Woodley. Say what you want about Jake Paul, but the kid does have some pretty decent skills on the feet and he packs a helluva punch.
He’s also younger and bigger than Tyron Woodley. Paul is also dedicated his life to his boxing career and you know that he’s going to come prepared for battle tonight. That said, I just can’t pick against Tyron Woodley in this one.
At the end of the day, we’ve never seen Jake Paul in there with someone that can hurt him. Woodley can hurt him and hurt him badly. Jake Paul might pass this boxing test with flying colors, but I’m going to have to see it to believe it. My prediction is that Tyron Woodley emphatically ends that Jake Paul drama tonight.
Prediction: Tyron Woodley by TKO – Round 3