The kids come such a long way - UFC legend Jon Jones explains why hes rooting for Jake Paul
Former two-time UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones is hoping Jake Paul secures the biggest win of his short boxing career this weekend.
‘The Problem Child’ is set to square off against fellow undefeated prospect Tommy Fury at the Diriyah Arena in Saudi Arabia on Sunday evening – live on talkSPORT.
It’s a grudge match that will make both fighters millions after a two-year rivalry that has included tons of trash talk, two cancelled fights, and one big bet.
On Saturday, Jones was answering questions from his followers on Twitter when he was asked to give a prediction for the eagerly anticipated pay-per-view blockbuster.
The 35-year-old stopped short of giving his pick for the fight but did reveal he is rooting for Paul despite being a massive fan of his opponent's WBC heavyweight champion brother, Tyson Fury.
He tweeted: “I’m a huge fan of Tyson, but I’m rooting for Jake in the situation. The kids come such a long way.”
Paul only took up boxing a few years ago after making a name for himself as a YouTuber – now he’s just one win away from being 7-0 as a professional boxer and ranked by the WBC.
The 26-year-old started his boxing career in August 2018 when he and his brother Logan Paul fought KSI and his younger brother, Deji, in a pair of white-collar bouts.
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After stopping Deji in the fifth round of their fight, Paul decided to pursue boxing professionally and scored a first-round knockout win over fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib in his January 2020 debut.
Next up, the controversial crossover star tested himself against an actual athlete when he fought retired NBA player Nate Robinson on the undercard of Mike Tyson vs Roy Jones Jr.
Paul brutally put Robinson to sleep in the second round and went viral in the process.
Since then, he’s picked up four wins over former UFC fighters Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (x2), and Anderson Silva but fans have been crying out for him to face an actual boxer.
That’ll happen on Sunday when he takes on Fury who first became known to the wider public for being ‘The Gypsy King’s’ brother and appearing on Love Island.
Now, he’s an 8-0 prospect and supremely confident he’ll quickly take out Paul despite being the underdog heading into fight night.
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury on talkSPORT
talkSPORT has landed exclusive radio rights for the blockbuster boxing showdown between Jake Paul and Tommy Fury.
Our coverage of the fight will start at 7pm on Sunday, February 26 on talkSPORT 2 before switching over to talkSPORT at 9pm ahead of the main event.
talkSPORT.com will bring you all the build-up across fight week, exclusive interviews with both camps and the very latest from Saudi Arabia as well as a live blog on fight night.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
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