Jake Paul has encountered numerous prominent figures in his boxing career, from former NBA stars to former UFC Champions.
But a shift in strategy emerged as Paul diverted from high-profile opponents. He has recently opted to face the less-popular professional boxer Andre August in his upcoming bout.
Following his win over Nate Diaz, many fans anticipated that Paul would continue to accept cross-over bouts. He was expected to face long-time rival KSI. Instead, the 26-year-old is steering towards a more conventional boxing trajectory.
Jake Paul is expected to compete on December 15th in Orlando, Florida.
Expressing his motivations, Paul said during The MMA Hour: “There’s a lot of reasons [why I’m fighting August], but it’s mostly for me, for my experience, my road to world championship and to grow inside the squared circle, those four corners, and to get the time under my belts.”
Dismissing misconceptions regarding his ambitions, Paul adamantly stated: “I think people, when I said I wanted to become world champion, thought it was just some gimmick or that I was just like saying it to sell more fights or to like gain people’s attention. When I said it, I actually meant it.”
“This is me acting like a boxing prospect. It’s me building my experience in the ring, taking challenges and staying sharp in camp, working, working, working. This is the time I need to be able to get to that level of being the best in the world.”
“That’s where I’m going to be and that’s where I have my mindset on. It’s my biggest goal, and this is the path to get there. It’s no longer about business and making all this money. I’ve already generated, you know, 250 million, $200 million in pay-per-view sales. We’ve done that. Great. Congratulations. This is about real boxing now.”
While Paul remains resolute in his pursuit of traditional boxing prowess, he doesn’t entirely shun the prospect of crossover matches.
Paul continued: “I think there’s still some names that need to be taken care of like Tommy Fury or KSI, for example. Nate Diaz has ducked me in MMA… those things still excite me, but I’m not waiting around for anyone or anything. I’m gonna get to my goal regardless.”
“If we wanna make those other crossover fights happen at some point, then it could fit into the schedule. But for right now, I’m on a war path. Nothing can stop me. Tunnel vision, straightforward and taking these fights now to grow that experience.”
“For me, this is about signing myself up to more fights to stay sharp and to continue to grow.”
It’s no secret that Andre August will be Jake Paul’s toughest challenge yet. The professional boxer has a 10-1 record, five of which are victories by knockout.
Paul is eager to take on the challenge even though he stands to lose a lot in this one.
Paul stated: “I think he first and foremost has a great record. It’s a good stylistic matchup. I think it’s gonna be an entertaining fight for the fans. He’s a beast. He’s a dog, he’s strong.”
“He’s got that Tyron Woodley frame of just being a dog coming forward. I wanted someone with 10 wins or more and few to no losses.”
Acknowledging his skills, Paul stated: “He brings excitement to the match. He’s got more knockouts than me, more experience than me. He has one punch knockout power. He’s dropped opponents with his left hand. It’s interesting and it is a challenge.”
“I have another man out there who could take everything away from me that isn’t a big name. So, it requires me to be sharp and on my P’s and Q’s every single day when I wake up in the morning.”