PFL's Anthony Pettis 'Would Love' to Have Boxing Match; Talks Jake Paul

MMA fighter Anthony Pettis is open to a boxing match against YouTuber Jake Paul.

In an interview with TMZ Sports before his win over Alex Morono at UFC Fight Night last month, Pettis discussed his desire to box at some point.

"Bro, I would love to box," Pettis said. "I haven't boxed yet, so I'm 0-0. Boxing is something I grew up watching my whole life. That's why I got into fighting, honestly. Watching [Julio Cesar] Chavez, [Oscar] De La Hoya, [Floyd] Mayweather, all these guys up and coming."

While Paul only has two professional fights under his belt, he is among the biggest names in boxing because of the fanbase he has built on YouTube.

After making his boxing debut with a victory over fellow YouTuber Ali Eson Gib in January 2020, Paul put himself on the map by knocking out former NBA star Nate Robinson in November.

Pettis expressed his belief that Paul has some talent in the boxing realm: "I think he's definitely getting better. He prepared for a boxing match. You could tell he was in boxing shape, he was in a stance at least. It's going to be interesting to see how far he can go with it."

While Paul has been impressive, facing someone with professional fighting experience would be a different animal even though Pettis hasn't actually boxed.

Pettis, who now competes in the Professional Fighters League, has a 24-10 MMA record with 11 wins by knockout, which shows his striking skills are a force to be reckoned with.

During his time in UFC, Pettis faced no shortage of big names and scored victories over the likes of Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone, Benson Henderson and Charles Oliveira. His win over Henderson secured the UFC lightweight title.

The natural progression for Paul is to face a professional fighter, and going up against an MMA fighter rather than a pro boxer would perhaps give him a chance.

Given all Pettis has accomplished in the fighting realm, however, he would be a big favorite if he were to step in the ring with Paul.