Ilia Topuria and Jake Paul Trade Heated Barbs Over Boxing Skills and UFC Fighter Pay

Ilia Topuria at UFC 317
Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Ilia Topuria (red gloves) prior to the fight against Charles Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The age-old debate of boxing vs. MMA has raged on for decades, dating back to James Toney’s ill-fated UFC appearance against Randy Couture. Years later, the narrative flipped when Conor McGregor stepped into the boxing ring to face Floyd Mayweather Jr., followed by Francis Ngannou taking on heavyweight stars Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. Now, the long-running rivalry has found a new chapter, this time featuring reigning UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and controversial boxer Jake Paul.

Since stepping into the boxing business, ‘The Problem Child’ has consistently found lucrative opportunities and headline-grabbing fights. Just months after his most recent outing against Joshua, Paul may have identified another high-profile opponent in Topuria, who has already traded verbal barbs with boxing stars like Terence Crawford. The latest exchange unfolded during a livestream with Adin Ross, where the two clashed over everything from skill level and paydays to their respective trash-talking abilities.

Ilia Topuria Slams Jake Paul’s Boxing Credentials, Calls Him a Very Bad Boxer

In a recent appearance on Adin Ross’ livestream, Ilia Topuria spoke about a range of topics, including a potential superfight with Islam Makhachev and his list of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. 

However, the moment that drew the most attention was his heated back-and-forth with boxer Jake Paul, who is currently recovering from jaw surgery following his fight with Anthony Joshua in December. During the stream, the Spanish-Georgian champion criticized Paul’s boxing skills but acknowledged his promotional ability.

He said to Ross, “I like the way that he represents himself, as a boxer, I think he s*cks. He’s a very bad boxer. But I love being that bad, how he does it and how he promotes himself is very, I don’t know. He doesn’t have the skills to be a good boxer. But [anyway] he is doing a great job because he sells more than most people.”

 

ALSO READ: Terence Crawford’s 25-0 Protege Calls Out UFC’s Ilia Topuria for Boxing Showdown

Soon after, Paul joined the stream, and the exchange quickly escalated. The Cleveland native challenged Topuria to spar and fired back with a warning. “Yeah? Let’s spar. When I beat your a** in sparring, what will you say then?”

Topuria accepted the challenge but suggested Paul wait until his jaw fully heals. The injury, suffered in his bout with Joshua in December, reportedly left the jaw broken in two places and required multiple surgeries, along with the removal of several teeth. Unfazed, Paul doubled down.

He blasted with, “The thing is, I don’t need the jaw to be healed, because you’re not gonna touch me, bro. You MMA fighters are all trash, I beat all of the best in your sport [in boxing matches].”

The argument intensified when Paul mocked Topuria’s height of 5-foot-7. The lightweight champion responded with a sharp retort. Topuria retorted, “Ok, maybe the best thing that I have is not my height. Maybe I’m not the [tallest] guy in the room, but I’m going to … give you a combo that I put you at the height of my ba**s. I’m going to pow, and you’re going to be at the height of my knees.”

 

The conversation eventually shifted to the long-standing disparity in fighter pay between MMA and boxing. Paul used the topic to needle Topuria, referencing Conor Benn’s recent one-fight deal with Zuffa Boxing under Dana White.

When Topuria insisted Paul was wrong about his earnings, the YouTuber-turned-boxer responded with more jabs. “Then how come you weren’t on the highest-paid athletes list? Where were you? We missed you! We missed you on the list this year!”

‘The Problem Child’ further added, “You make probably $2 million a fight, and he (Dana White) just paid Conor Benn ($15 million). Brother, you get paid as much as an NFL rookie. Like, congrats.”

The UFC champion fired back by pointing out that, unlike Paul, he does not feel the need to constantly remind fans how much money he makes. Despite suffering a broken jaw in his fight against Joshua, Paul has still managed to carve out a lucrative path in boxing.

Bouts against crossover MMA stars such as Tyron Woodley, Nate Diaz, and Anderson Silva have delivered massive paydays and kept him firmly in the spotlight. Meanwhile, Topuria is preparing for his return to the Octagon for the first time since June 2025, when he knocked out Charles Oliveira to capture the lightweight title. 

With tensions already running high between the two, it remains to be seen whether this online feud could eventually turn into a real fight in the future.