Jake Paul faced off with controversial ex-kickboxer Andrew Tate as the pair teased a money-spinning boxing bout.
A fight between YouTuber-turned boxer Paul and Tate has been teased ever since the four-time kickboxing world champion achieved unprecedented internet fame at the beginning of this year. The pair have now added fuel to the fire over the potential mega-fight as Paul stared down with Tate in a boxing gym as the YouTuber's manager Nakisa Bidarian watched on.
Paul captioned the video "negotiations" and a spokesman for Tate later told Mirror Fighting: "Negotiations have begun between the two parties, it’s a fight the fans have been asking for and it’s an event the world will remember."
Tate has not fought in two years but has welcomed a return to the ring against Paul, who beat UFC legend Anderson Silva last month, or his older brother Logan. The 35-year-old has been at the forefront of media attention in recent months for his controversial views, which have seen him banned from social media platforms TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram.
Paul voiced his support for Tate following his social media ban, with the former kickboxer has also speaking highly of Paul's career switch to boxing by labelling him as the best influencer to take up the sport. Tate previously hinted a fight with Logan was more likely to happen than Jake, insisting he would only return to the ring against somebody he wanted to "hurt".
"Logan and Jake are obviously on the cards, perhaps more Logan than Jake," he told Mirror Fighting. "I don't need money and I don't need credibility, I'm going to stay relevant for eternity. I'm going to be the most relevant voice for the masculine youth for the rest of human time. For me to fight, it's a personal decision because it's somebody I want to hurt. There's a lot of talk going on at the moment with a lot of different names."
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Along with brother Tristan, who is also a former kickboxer, Tate met with Paul's manager Bidarian back in August but refused to reveal the nature of their talks. Tate has praised Jake for speaking up about what he believes in and thinks Logan also shares his brother's views, but refuses to voice his opinion as he is "bought and sold".
"Jake seems to be a person who is focused on his boxing career and is making his own money, he isn't scared of getting cancelled from a YouTube channel," Tate added. "He has a genuine career that he's taking seriously, Logan needs the algorithm to favour him and his little YouTube channel or he has nothing. Jake is telling the truth about what he believes, but because Logan is bought and sold like a coward, he's not allowed to say it."
