You know you’re getting Jake Paul’s attention when he starts posting full diss videos, and Michael Bisping is his latest target.
On Sunday, Paul went all in on the former retired UFC champion, who recently appeared on his “hit list” of future opponents, and started an exchange of insults on Twitter.
Mocking the injury that legally blinded Bisping in one eye, the YouTuber-turned-boxer again challenged the ex-UFC champion to a boxing match.
Bisping fired back after Paul’s first challenge, stating, “I’ve won a world championship and, more importantly, the respect of the fighting community, and told the boxer, ‘Those are two things you will NEVER do. Ye.”
In response, Paul pointed to his earnings in two boxing matches with ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley, whom he outed in two fights last year and then knocked out.
“Earlier when I was crying after he tweeted me – I was sobbing – then I was like ‘F***’ I started wiping away my tears with the $50 million I made fighting last year. In my last fight, by the time round 3 was over, I made more money than he had in his entire career. So I can see why he’s mad at the new guy on the block talking all that shit.
“And when he looks at his bank account, guys, you might not know this, he only sees half of it, so he really thinks he’s made half that amount of money since he only has one eye. But the eye jokes aren’t funny. I… really don’t think it’s funny. I… think it’s mean. And I’m sorry.”
dear @bisping,
I urge you to stop hosting your fighting podcast, get a fighting license and box me.
Let’s see if that UFC belt and all the respect you have can help you beat me in a boxing match. pic.twitter.com/9Bv0bDTK1E
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 17, 2022
Bisping didn’t appear on Paul’s supposed hit list out of nowhere. The former champion last May said he was offered a boxing match against Paul, which he turned down because there wasn’t enough money.
But money is only one obstacle to a possible fight between Bisping and Paul. As Paul notes, Bisping would need to obtain a license to fight, and with his documented vision problems, that would be all but impossible in a jurisdiction regulated by an athletic commission.
As Bisping noted, when a Paul fight first came across his desk, he believed the fight offer was just another publicity stunt. As noted by Paul, he has praised Paul’s performances and at one point firmly debunked conspiracy theories about a resolution in Paul’s rematch with Woodley.
The only likely difference between then and now is that Paul gives his publicity stunts more production value — and makes his insults a lot more personal.