Dana White got burnt the last time he tried to pick the winner of a Jake Paul boxing match, having wrongly predicted that Ben Askren would beat the YouTube superstar, but it’s not stopped him from dipping his toe into the water again.
This time White is predicting that recently released UFC Fighter Tyron Woodley will knock out Paul in their newly announced fight in August, but due to the former welterweight champion’s form in recent years, he’s clearly not confident about it.
“Tyron Woodley has punching power and obviously he’s put a lot of dudes to sleep in his career,” White said on Mike Swick’s podcast. “Tyron Woodley doesn’t look like the Tyron Woodley of the past that was putting everybody to sleep.
“He hasn’t won a fight in three years. He’s going to be 40 years old. But I will give it to [Jake Paul], he’s at least stepping in there with a guy that can punch.”
The bookmakers have actually made Woodley a slight underdog, and that doesn’t surprise White.
“It’s cause it has to do with Woodley’s age and he hasn’t won a fight in three years. You tell me when the last time you saw Woodley look like Woodley.”
Nevertheless, having witnessed Woodley finish the likes of Robbie Lawler, Josh Koscheck and Dong Hyun Kim via punches earlier in his career, White feels he can do the same to Paul.
“I’d have to go with Woodley by knockout. Listen, Woodley should knock him out but again the Tyron Woodley you talk about that was the champ isn’t the same f*cking guy he was four years ago.”
