Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury: Fight Odds, Top Storylines, Live Stream and Predictions

Love him or hate him, Jake Paul has become one of the biggest attractions in boxing. Every time he steps in the ring, it's bound to draw attention, and his Sunday bout against Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia will be no different.

Paul, 26, will attempt to run his undefeated record to 7-0 and earn his first win over someone who has more than one or two professional boxing bouts. Fury—the younger brother of WBC Heavyweight World Champion Tyson Fury—has an 8-0 record in his boxing career.

The 23-year-old has also made a name for himself outside of the ring. He was on the British reality show Love Island and has publicly feuded with Paul for a while.

Now the two will get to sort out their differences and make a case for further legitimacy as boxers live on pay-per-view.

Here's a look at all the info you need to know to catch the fight, the top storylines and a prediction for who will get their hand raised.

Fight Info and Odds

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

US boxers Jake Paul (L) and Tommy Fury (R) pose for a picture with the belt during a press conference in Riyadh on February 23, 2023, ahead of their February 26 boxing match. (Photo by Fayez Nureldine / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images)

When: Sunday, February 26, at 2 p.m. ET

Where: 02 Arena in London, England

Live stream: ESPN+ PPV

Odds: Paul -180 (bet $180 to win $100); Fury +140 ($100 bet wins $140)

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

Top Storylines

AP Photo/Ian Walton

British boxer Tommy Fury, right, attends an open workout for the media and fans at Wembley's Boxpark in London, Tuesday, April 19, 2022. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Who Will Claim a Spot in the WBC Rankings?

There's lots of money to be made with this fight, but the biggest prize for the winner might be legitimacy. Both boxers are in a position where respect has been elusive to this point in their career.

That could change in some respects with this fight. The WBC announced before the fight that the winner will be ranked by the organization in their next batch of cruiserweight rankings.

For Paul, it's overcoming the perception of just being a YouTube celebrity who happens to do some boxing matches. For Fury, it's about coming out of the shadow of his brother.

A ranking doesn't necessarily mean that one of them is close to the title. The organization's rankings go all the way to No. 40. But, as Paul noted, there isn't a specific ranking he has to have to challenge for the title.

"People, I think, are overcomplicating the path to the belt," Paul told ESPN. "They forget that I could just challenge the guy who has [the title]. I don't have to go through the rankings and all of that."

Is Tommy Fury the Best Opponent Jake Paul Has Seen?

From one perspective, Tommy Fury is the most legitimate opponent that Paul has faced in the ring. The rest of Paul's opponents have been fellow YouTubers or MMA stars with little boxing experience.

On paper, Fury has the name recognition and boxing experience to be sold as a "real" boxer.

But on closer inspection of that record, it's fair to question how much better Fury is than the others who have boxed Paul. As Douglas A. Brown noted for Bleacher Report, his eight opponents have a combined record of 24-176-5.

To be fair, Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley were more known for their grappling than their boxing skills and Anderson Silva was well past his prime when he fought Paul.

Paul has arguably faced better competition, and it's going to be on Fury to prove that he is more than a last name and a few tune-up fights.

Prediction

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 29: Jake Paul (L) punches Anderson Silva of Brazil during their cruiserweight bout at Desert Diamond Arena on October 29, 2022 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

The challenge in forecasting lies in the unique experiences of both fighters. In a way, this is the first time either of them are fighting a legitimate boxer. That point gets brought up with Paul, but given the previous record of Fury's other opponents, it's a fair point to make about him as well.

If Paul has proved anything to this point, it's that he does have some legitimate pop. He knocked out Tyron Woodley, and he's finished four of his six fights.

While Woodley's boxing is pretty rudimentary, his toughness can't be questioned. He was only knocked out twice in MMA, and one of them was due to a rib injury.

In a sense, Paul's power punching is the only proven element of this fight. So that's where the prediction lies.

Prediction: Paul via fifth-round TKO