That Jake Paul and Dana White are at loggerheads is an understatement. The YouTuber-turned-fighter and the UFC CEO, who’s now deeply involved in boxing with Zuffa, have been in a back-and-forth that goes back years. Recently, White took potshots at Paul for stepping in against former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. It was only natural that the Cleveland native would get his chance to fire back.
The upcoming White House card now gives him that opening. Billed as “UFC Freedom 250,” the event will unfold at the Presidential residence to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States. The show has drawn scrutiny for several reasons, particularly the matchups lined up on the card. Speaking with Theo Von on “This Past Weekend,” Jake Paul felt the developments indicated that MMA is trending in the wrong direction, with Dana White at the center of it.
“He’s (Dana) not smart enough…..Just look at what he’s doing,” Paul said. “Like, you don’t pay your fighters, bro. Like you don’t get Jon Jones on the White House card. First of all, Justin Gaethje is going to lose to Ilia (Topuria) on the White House card. So you have a Spaniard beating a white American on the patriotic White House card. Like, okay, big mistake, first of all. Second of all, why are you not going to pay Jon Jones?
That reaction built off Theo Von’s reflection on his journey as a promoter, drawing an inadvertent comparison. The contrast pointed to concerns about the future of MMA, Paul stated.
“Their investors have gotten greedy….And they’re not—they forgot their heart as a company,” he added. “That’s the problem. And so, it’s dying…And also MMA is not…MMA hasn’t stood the test of time because the best people in the sport become wrestlers; they just like hold on… No, Khabib, Khamzat…This is boring. No one wants to watch that.”
Paul’s views may come across as random, scattered thoughts. But his message carries a layer of truth that is hard to ignore.
Why Jake Paul’s jab at Dana White over the White House card is landing
Much of the attention around the White House card has centered on the tension surrounding Jon Jones’ inclusion. Since news of the event surfaced, the former champion had been a frontrunner to potentially headline the card. After the formal announcement of the card early last month, White, at the UFC 326 post-fight presser, claimed that, while discussions had taken place with Jones, they never considered him to headline the event.
“Never, ever, ever, which I told you guys 100,000 times, was Jon Jones even remotely in my mind to fight at the White House,” White reportedly said.
But the MMA icon disagreed. He went public with his criticism of White and his team for “lowballing” him.
“Dana, you were heated about why I’m not on the White House card, but let’s clear something up,” Jones wrote on X. “My team and I were actually negotiating with the UFC for that fight. Real negotiations. I even came down from my original number, and what was I offered in return? I was lowballed.”
He has since sought a release from the UFC.
Jake Paul’s comments come into sharper focus in that context. His take on wrestlers dominating the scene may be more subjective. Many diehards rate the ground-heavy style of Khamzat and others as a compelling watch. But his broader point – how Dana White may have mishandled the White House card – could continue to resonate far wider.
