LEGENDARY boxing trainer Teddy Atlas has told Jake Paul to fight Jorge Masvidal instead of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Youtuber Paul, 24, recently disposed of Tyron Woodley for a second time in Florida.
Afterwards, he called out a number of UFC stars, including Masvidal and Chavez Jr.
But Atlas is urging Paul to take on Masvidal, who he says is a “pretty good striker”.
“I’d like to see him – It’s probably not going to happen – But if he fought Masvidal, Masvidal is a pretty good striker,” Atlas told The Schmo.
“That’d be interesting. That would get my attention. Obviously, Diaz.
“The guy that he beat, Woodley, was a real fighter. But he was just about retired. He was 41, 42 years old, and never a tremendous striker; better on the mat; not a real busy guy. So, he picked the spot pretty good.
“But it’d be a little more interesting if he fought a Masvidal because Masvidal, he’s a better striker, and he’s more versatile. He could use his legs. He could pick spots. He could look to set up the right hand.
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“Obviously, he called out Masvidal, and he called out Diaz. He is bigger. He’s larger. He has those advantages. He’s smart. A lot of people hate him, but one thing I give him credit for: He didn’t disrespect the sport of boxing. He went, and he learned it.”
Paul and Masvidal share bad blood, despite once being pals and training together.
Appearing on his brother Logan’s podcast Impaulsive, Paul made an offer to Gamebred for a fight.
Paul said: “Masvidal is like, ‘I only fight the best people or I fight for money, and you’re neither one of those’.
“Masvidal, I’ve got an offer for you right now: $5m guarantee, plus percentage of pay-per-views.
“That’s the most you would have ever made in a fight, ever. So now you can’t say, ‘I either fight the best, or I fight for money.’
“Let’s make it happen.”
But Masvidal shut down the offer immediately. “The UFC isn’t going to let me go for chump change,” he wrote on social media.
“Make that 20 guaranteed plus PPV and I’m sure the UFC will be ok with it as long as I break them off their fee and then I’ll gladly break your face.
“If the UFC still says no because the money is still too low then come over to the UFC, sign a one-fight deal and we can stipulate I can only box in the cage.
“If I do anything other than that I will forfeit my purse to you. Come on over and get paid and laid out.”
