When Jake Paul started off his boxing career, he may not have thought about making the jump to becoming a professional. After tussling with a few YouTubers, the social media star shifted gears to take on genuine fighters, and that’s when some of the ex-UFC warriors decided to throw their hats in the ring. Paul bested each and every MMA fighter he faced, but the fanbase wasn’t exactly jumping for joy.

Jake Paul’s fights against MMA fighters garnered great traction, and now a champion boxer wants to follow in the same footsteps. Former WBA Continental welterweight champion Conor Benn expressed his wish to fight a UFC fighter, especially lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, who’s one of the best boxers in the UFC. As he denied wanting anything to do with an Octagon, Benn welcomed ‘El Matador’ inside the squared circle, and was even open to a bare-knuckle contest.

“Whoever these UFC fighters want to come over to boxing. Dangerous game. If you fancy somebody, come and get it … Sign me up, I’ll fight anybody. Bareknuckle. Anybody that wants to come over from the UFC. Ilia [Topuria], I’ve got these hands brother,” said Conor Benn. While boxing UFC fighters is understandable, UFC veteran Ben Askren appears to have an issue with Benn declining to compete in MMA.

‘Funky’, who’s in a recovery mode following his double-lung transplant surgery, has been keeping fans updated online, and it seems he’s also been aware of the recent developments in the fight world as well. While he didn’t have anything to say about Jake Paul, he was incensed with Conor Benn for copying the same blueprint, demanding that he accept an MMA fight. “These boxers only want to box mma fighters…. If they had real courage they would offer to fight an actual mma bout,” Askren tweeted.

Well, unlike Conor Benn, Jake Paul actually promised to compete in an MMA fight. The 28-year-old also had some names in mind. However, things may not come to fruition, and he may just end up competing and finishing his fighting career as a boxer. Here’s what we know.

Jake Paul fighting in MMA is unlikely

Back in 2023, Jake Paul set social media abuzz after joining hands with UFC’s rival promotion, the PFL, and even signed a deal where he had an option to fight. The YouTuber-turned-boxer, as many fans would know, wanted to fight Nate Diaz in the PFL, inside the Smartcage. However, PFL’s Dan Hardy claims that the high level of engagement in boxing and the lack of big names in the PFL indicate that Paul will never fight inside a cage.

“Do we ever see him in MMA? I don’t think so. He’s pretty focused on boxing. It’s a lot of work for him to cross over to mixed martial arts, and he’s not going to fight anybody that you’ve never heard of before,” Dan Hardy told ‘MMA Fighting’. “It’s going to have to be a decent name, or otherwise people won’t watch it. Even old guys in MMA could still handle business, I think, with Jake Paul.”

Jake Paul’s strategy of stepping into the ring with MMA fighters has paid off for him, but for a lot of others, it’s been a different story altogether. Is Conor Benn about to have his dreams come true? We’re not holding our breath, but do you think Ben Askren’s outburst at these boxers was on the level? Sound off in the comments below!