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Jake Paul Says Daniel Cormier 'B---hed Out' During UFC 261 Confrontation
April 27, 2021
Jake Paul continued his war of words with retired UFC legend Daniel Cormier after the two had a confrontation outside the Octagon at UFC 261.
During Ariel Helwani's MMA Show on Tuesday, Paul claimed Cormier "b---hed out."
"He also said he's gonna slap me when he sees me," he said. "He said, 'If I ever see Jake Paul, I'm gonna slap him. I'm gonna slap him in the face. And then he sees me, I'm right there, arm's length. And he does nothing. Like, it's funny. It's funny to me."
Paul went on to call Cormier an "embarrassment" and "not a man of [his] word."
Cormier provided his side Monday on DC & Helwani and largely echoed how Paul described the situation:
The former light heavyweight and heavyweight champion went on to say he'd be open to a fight against Paul and that he'd "rip his face apart" and "will hurt the kid" if presented with the opportunity (via MMA Fighting's Alexander K. Lee).
Asked about Cormier's challenge, Paul basically said it would be unfair to ask him to face an MMA fighter under MMA rules.
"Of course he's going to challenge me to an MMA fight," the 24-year-old said. "I find it funny because he's challenging me to something I've never trained in. He's trained boxing and striking and stand-up and has been in there with Stipe [Miocic], Jon Jones."
One could counter it's a bit silly to directly antagonize a former UFC star and then take umbrage when said star would only agree to an MMA fight.
Cormier would have little to gain and everything to lose by facing off with Paul, so why wouldn't he want to set the terms? He's also far more proven in combat sports and a far bigger draw than Ben Askren, Paul's opponent in his most recent boxing match.
This is the problem Paul will likely run into if he hopes to continue pursuing a boxing career. Sooner or later, he's bound to encounter somebody more experienced than Askren or Nate Robinson in the ring.