"$30m, winner takes all. If Jake says no, we know why," says Triller promoter Ryan Kavanaugh; could Jake Paul return to the ring to fight Vitor Belfort?
Sunday 12 September 2021 18:23, UK
Jake Paul was offered a lucrative $30m temptation to get in the ring with Evander Holyfield’s conqueror Vitor Belfort.
Holyfield, aged 58, was knocked down and was unable to last a single round in a stoppage defeat to MMA icon Belfort on Saturday night in Florida.
Belfort and Triller promoter Ryan Kavanaugh then turned their attention to Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer who has won his first four fights inside the ring.
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"$25m, the winner takes all! Jake Paul stop running from me, man," Belfort initially challenged.
Promoter Kavanaugh upped the ante for a fight in November on Thanksgiving: "$30m, winner takes all. If Jake says no, we know why."
Belfort told Paul: "I'm going to teach you a lesson.
"All your little fans will become Vitor fans.
"I come to knock people out. You bring it? I bring it harder.
"He has earned respect but he's still a Disney World kid."
Kavanugh promoted the second and third fights of Paul's boxing career.
Most recently, Paul was taken the distance for the first time but still outpointed Tyron Woodley.
He teased a retirement which lasted just 24 hours and has also lined up Tommy Fury as a potential opponent.
"People say he is a 'real boxer' so let's run it," Paul said about Fury after a backstage confrontation last month.
"If he didn't have his security team with him, he would have walked straight past me," said Fury.
"He is big in front of cameras but small by himself."
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