UFC President Dana White believes the recent confrontation between Jake Paul and Floyd Mayweather was staged to generate interest in a potential future fight.
A video surfaced last week, which saw Mayweather and his entourage confront Paul in the aftermath of a Miami Heat game in Florida.
Paul, who felt he was in danger and about to get jumped, quickly fled the scene and ran to safety.
White is not convinced that the confrontation was legitimate.
“I just can’t see Floyd doing that. I can’t see Floyd rolling up on somebody and doing that. It’s not Floyd’s style. It’s not really his personality. I thought it was a skit. I’m not buying it. When’s the last time you saw Floyd Mayweather act like a thug and roll up on somebody with 50 people? That’s just not what Floyd does. Yeah, I’m not buying it,” White told TMZ Sports.
Paul maintains that Mayweather and his team members were looking to harm him. He wants to settle their differences in the ring, but only if their match is a sanctioned fight.
“Floyd will not see me 1 on 1 in a real fight. That’s a fact. His team has hit my team numerous times to do one of his ‘exhibitions’. Now he ambushes me. Come see me in the ring, real fight, no exhibition robbing fans bullsh!t,” Paul said.
In 2021, Mayweather traded punches with Jake’s older brother, Logan Paul, in an eight round exhibition.
During a media event to promote that fight, a scuffle broke out between Mayweather and Jake Paul – and their respective teams. The wild scene began when Jake, during a face-to-face argument, snatched Mayweather’s hat and tried to run away with it.