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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Donagh Corby

Jake Paul warned against switching to MMA after CM Punk's failed UFC career

Jake Paul has been warned not to make the switch from boxing to the UFC after CM Punk's failed efforts in the octagon.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer has amassed a 5-0 professional record, although mostly against retired UFC fighters as well as a basketball player and another social media star.

And he has been told not to go the route of Punk, who was humiliated in his two losses in the UFC after making the switch from professional wrestling.

And UFC commentator Jon Anik has said that Paul isn't in the same headspace as Punk, who he feels was desperate to get into the octagon.

He feels the YouTuber won't want to dedicate himself to the sport of MMA like he has for boxing, and says he doubts that the move will happen.

"I doubt it, I really doubt it," Anik said in an interview with DAZN News. "I just don't think that he wants to scratch that competitive itch.

"I think he is legitimately passionate about boxing.

Jake Paul has boxing experience, and viciously knocked out former UFC champion Tyron Woodley (AFP via Getty Images)

"CM Punk, for lack of a better example, he needed to scratch that itch, it didn't go the way he wanted it to.

"It didn't go the way he thought it would, but he needed that for his own peace of mind - I think Jake Paul needed that in boxing.

"But Jake Paul's not going to have a better retirement or enjoy any part of his life by scratching that MMA itch.

"I don't think that he wants to devote his training life the way he’d need to become a mixed martial arts athlete.

"I don't think we see Jake Paul in the UFC, but if we do, hopefully, the matchmaking is done in an appropriate way."

Punk, whose real name is Phil Brooks, was in his late 30s when he began training MMA full time, and had no combat sport experience barring infrequent jiu-jitsu training and whatever holds are needed for professional wrestling.

Would you like to see Jake Paul make the switch to the UFC? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

The situations are slightly different, given Paul's extensive high school wrestling background and now noteworthy professional boxing career.

He has knocked out former UFC champion Tyron Woodley during his five-fight run to date, as well as former Bellator and ONE FC champion Ben Askren, both of whom were training partners of Punk ahead of his debut.

Punk first fought BJJ brown belt Mickey Gall, who submitted him within seconds, before a brutal and grinding three-round decision where he hardly landed a glove on boxer Mike Jackson.

However, his record currently stands at just 0-1 with one no contest, due to Jackson testing positive for marijuana on fight night.

Paul has been teasing a move to the cage over the past few months, saying that he plans to train at the American Kickboxing Academy, home to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier, under Javier Mendez.

He also featured the head coach at California's Team Body Shop; Antonio McKee, in the music video for his diss track on UFC president Dana White.

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