Chuck Liddell Not Interested in Jake Paul Fight; 'I'd Hurt Him'
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell said he doesn't have interest in a boxing match with YouTube star Jake Paul despite some prior trash talk hinting a fight was possible.
"He's not good enough to fight me," Liddell told TMZ Sports in an interview released Saturday. "It just doesn't make sense for him. None of it makes sense for this guy. He's going to risk getting hurt like that?"
Liddell was one of UFC's most accomplished fighters and biggest draws during his prime, but he's only fought once since 2010—a 2018 loss to Tito Ortiz by first-round knockout.
Despite the limited action over the past decade and the fact most of his fighting experience has come in either MMA or kickboxing, the 51-year-old California native is confident a boxing match with Paul would be no contest.
"He's not gonna fight me," Liddell told TMZ.
He'd previously wrote on Twitter he'd be interested in a shot at Paul:
Meanwhile, the 24-year-old YouTuber has made waves in the boxing world with his ability to attract mainstream attention to low-end fights. He's 3-0 with wins over fellow YouTube creator Ali "AnEsonGib" Al-Fakhri, former NBA player Nate Robinson and former MMA fighter Ben Askren.
His brother Logan Paul is scheduled to face boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an exhibition June 6, and it wouldn't be a surprise if Jake steps in the ring with Mayweather next depending on the success of next weekend's bout from a financial standpoint.
If not, a clash with Liddell would also generate plenty of crossover appeal between the worlds of boxing, MMA and social media.
For now, it doesn't sound like an opportunity high on the former UFC standout's priority list, though.
