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Jake Paul knows he will have his work cut out for him in the ring before his next fight.
He’ll also have to get a lot more creative when it comes to other pre-fight lore.
Paul has made it a point to challenge his opponents to a side bet in preparation for their eventual clash. He extended that offer to his next foe, former UFC record champion Anderson ‘Spider’ Silva. The two will collide atop a Showtime Pay-Per-View event on October 29 from the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona. The financial stakes are now set, although the bonus for the winner is yet to be determined as the two have yet to find common ground.
“I was going to say, if you beat me, I’ll get a spider tattoo,” Paul offered during his opening news conference Monday afternoon at NeueHouse Hollywood in Los Angeles.
A similar bet was made with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley before his first fight with Paul on August 29 in Cleveland, Ohio. Paul won a split decision, leaving Woodley (0-2) on the hook for a tattoo that read “I love Jake Paul,” which had been etched on the inside of his middle finger.
The same offer was respectfully declined this time.
“No, no, no, stop. You don’t need a spider tattoo. I know you’re my fan,” Silva replied, drawing a surge from the media and crowd and even a hearty laugh from Paul. “Don’t worry. I’m your fan too. But I hate tattoos.
Facing an opponent with whom there is no real animosity for the first time in his professional career, Paul (5-0, 4KOs) was momentarily speechless as he honored his opponent’s beliefs.
“I’ll come up with a different bet, one that has nothing to do with tattoos,” Paul promised. “We’ll come up with it during fight week.”
Paul sought additional stakes for scheduled fights with a pair of far more contentious rivals in England’s Tommy Fury (8-0, 4KOs) and second-generation boxer Hasim Rahman, Jr. (12-1, 6KOs), neither of whom came to fight night for a variety of reasons.
Woodley fulfilled the terms of his bet before their first fight, prompting Paul to grant him the rematch. It came as a backup plan, as Woodley replaced an injured Fury last December. Paul won by sixth-round knockout, leaving him with the honor of knocking out every opponent he faced after going all the way with Woodley four months earlier.
One bet Paul claims remains unsatisfied was a seven-figure bet with UFC president Dana White prior to his eventual knockout victory over former MMA fighter Ben Askren last April in Atlanta, Georgia. Paul claims the outspoken UFC front man still owes him a million, though he, too, is willing to give White a second chance.
“Even Dana White didn’t think he would take this fight. Dana, I know you’re watching brother. You still owe me a million dollars since you bet against me for Ben Askren,” Paul said. “I want you to come out of hiding, stop being a bitch and place a bet against me, and actually pay this time.
“You didn’t think I’d take this fight, so let’s make a bet. Let’s go up a mill, let’s put two million, let’s put five million. But I bet you won’t, Dana, because you’re a bitch.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
