Jake Paul: Dana White reveals how he really feels about the Problem Child
Dana White has revealed his true feelings about Jake Paul.
The UFC president gave his thoughts on the Problem Child to Barstool Sports personality Robbie Fox during an appearance on the ‘My Mom’s Basement‘ podcast earlier this week.
And he insisted that he bears him no ill will despite the pair going back and forth with each other on social media and in interviews for the past few years.
White, 52, told Fox: “I don’t hate Jake Paul like everybody thinks I hate Jake Paul, you know what I mean?
“He’s a kid trying to make money, he’s doing his thing, he’s trying to make money.”
Social media influencer Fox – who boasts over 100,000 followers on Twitter – could hardly believe what he had just heard before replying.
The 22-year-old interjected by saying: “Do you think if you spent 24 hours in a room with Jake Paul, you guys would leave as kind of, not maybe friends but acquaintances, maybe a little respect for one another?”
White – who was the subject of a recent diss track by Paul – admitted he didn’t know the answer to that question.
He did, however, admit that he does have respect for his fellow American as his business portfolio continues to expand into different territories.
The veteran promoter replied: “I don’t know. I don’t know enough about him personally. I don’t know the answer to that question.
“But you know the guy’s done alright for himself, he’s making some money, he’s doing his thing.
“That’s the business we’re in, we’re in the business where, you know, a lot of s*** is talked.
“Like, I dislike Bob Arum way more than I would ever dislike Jake Paul.
“I think that Bob Arum is a scumbag. I don’t know Jake Paul well enough.”
White has repeatedly played down the possibility of a business partnership with Paul in the future.
But could this be a sign that the times are changing?
He previously said: “I just don’t see it happening.
“I don’t hate the kid. Is he f****** annoying? Yeah, he’s annoying.
“He’s out there trying to make that money and his shelf life is very f****** short.
“Listen, I never say never, but I highly doubt it.
“It’s just not what I do. There’s a market for that.
“He could fight a different type of celebrity every week, and there’s going to be a segment of the population that wants to pay for that and see it, but that’s not what I do. I put the best against the best.
“The media isn’t really following him as much as they did in the beginning.
“The schtick is getting old. I think for him to get the media back, he’s gonna have to fight somebody. They’re tired of the schtick.
“‘Hey, it’s me, I weigh 190, and I want to fight these guys that weigh 170, 155, and they’re wrestling, and they’re 40 f****** years old, and they haven’t won a fight in three f****** years.’
“If he wants to be taken seriously now by the real media, I think he needs to fight a real fight.”