23 January 2023 , 18:09
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Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has called for a fight with Jake Paul, insisting that he could beat the YouTuber-turned-boxer "in his sleep" in the boxing ring.
Rockhold was the UFC middleweight champion at the peak of his career but went 1-4 after winning the belt, including three knockout defeats. He hung up the gloves after losing a decision to Paolo Costa in 2022 having gone almost five years without a win in the Octagon.
Paul is known for fighting MMA legends, most recently defeating Anderson Silva over a testing eight rounds after viciously knocking out Tyron Woodley in a rematch and dominating Ben Askren. He seems to be heading towards a fight with Tommy Fury in February, but having also entertained a meeting with Mike Perry recently, Paul could be tempted again by Rockhold.
"Stop trying to fight little dudes," Rockhold told TMZ during a recent interview where he was asked about Paul. "F***ing 155-pounders. You’re a middleweight. If you want to fight a middleweight, I got hands. We can do anything we want. I really don’t care. I’d beat that guy in my sleep.
"I got some freedom to do some things and as you can see I like throwing hands these days. So, this kid needs to stop calling out [smaller guys]. He talks about all this s*** like the best fighting the best, fight people your own f***ing weight, champions, a real champion or a real contender, someone who can put you on your a**. Not old guys, 50-year-olds, lightweights, you can't even get above welterweights, dog. Step up."
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Asked if he would like to get revenge for a legend such as Silva, Rockhold laughed and replied: "Not really, Anderson could have got it a long time ago but he was like, 'nah'.
"I just want to do the right thing for the right people and do the right fights. I just want to smack up [Paul] and show who the real fighters are. You [Paul] pick and choose your fights, it's time to step it up. I think we can work something and I've got some freedom to do some things these days."
Paul has announced that he will be making his MMA debut under the Professional Fighters League banner and has listed Perry and Nate Diaz as potential opponents for a two-fight crossover deal where they box first before getting in the cage. But it's highly unlikely that he would step in with a former middleweight champion like Rockhold for his debut, despite his recent losses.