Jake Paul addresses Tony Ferguson as potential MMA debut fight: 'I don't want to see him go out like that'

Jake Paul appeared rather dismissive of Tony Ferguson as his debut MMA fight.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer knocked out Ryan Bourland in the first round of their eight-round, 200-pound bout Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Paul has yet to have a scheduled date for his MMA debut with the PFL. While he still intends on stepping into the cage, he hasn’t zeroed in on a potential opponent yet. When skidding UFC lightweight Ferguson was suggested, Paul didn’t seem too keen. His manager, Nakisa Bidarian, even chimed to say, “That would not be a fair matchup.”

“Anyone who can get out of their (UFC) contract, I’ll fight,” Paul said during his post-fight news conference Saturday. “That’s easy work, as far as I am concerned. I do want to do a PFL MMA match – it just has to be the right opponent. But Nate (Diaz) did duck my $15 million offer, so we’ll see who else is on the chopping block.

“… Tony Ferguson? He said he wanted to fight? I don’t want to see him go out like that – that would be sad. He’s a great guy. We don’t want that for Tony.”

As for what’s next, Paul hopes to compete at least a couple more times this year.

“I’m going to stay as active as possible. It’s just about finding the right opponents,” Paul said. “This is my life now. It’s a lifestyle, and I’ll be back hopefully two more times before the end of the year.”

Early Monday, Paul tweeted what appeared to be the date for his next fight: April 26.

We’re baaaaaaaacck…
Friday April 26th@MostVpromotions

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) March 4, 2024