Jake Paul defeats Tyron Woodley in boxing match, hints at rematch

Share

In one of the most hyped boxing matches of the summer, YouTube star Jake Paul defeated former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley by split decision at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.

Many did not expect the fight to go to the scorecards as both Paul and Woodley predicted early-round knockouts in the build-up to the fight. The main event itself provided few fireworks with no knockdowns recorded in any of the eight rounds. 

The match started off rather slowly as both Paul landed some combinations while Woodley barely threw any punches in the first round. It wasn't until the third round that both fighters began to start swinging. Paul connected on a left uppercut combination with a body shot and left hook to the head early, but Woodley had the final answer at the end of the round with his patented right hand.

In the fourth round, Woodley might have had his best moment, hurting Paul with a looping right hand. To that point, it was one of the most significant strikes.

In the last four rounds, both Paul and Woodley looked to be wearing down, but the effective combinations by Paul gave him a clear edge. Paul landed a big right hand in the seventh round that sent sweat flying off Woodley's face.

After the fight, Paul reflected on his performance and questioned the judge that scored the fight for Woodley. He thought that he could have performed even better.

"I got eight rounds under my belt. All my previous opponents went one minute. So for me to come in here in my first real eight-round fight. Who is doing that?" Paul told Ariel Helwani in his post-fight interview.

"I didn't even fight my best tonight. I give myself a C-."

Woodley, on the other hand, believed the fight should have scored in his favor and challenged Paul to an immediate rematch. Paul at first was hesitant but eventually agreed to run it back if the former UFC champ honored their bet to tattoo the words "I love Jake Paul" on his body.

"Bet," Woodley responded.

Paul has a number of options in front of him after winning his fourth professional bout including fighting Tommy Fury, brother of star heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, who also competed in the undercard. 

Whether Paul will honor his agreement to face Woodley again remains to be seen.

Contact Us