On Sunday, boxing champion Floyd Mayweather and internet personality Logan Paul made headlines when they announced an upcoming boxing match. Following the announcement, UFC president Dana White shared his thoughts on the exhibition match.
Mayweather and Paul plan to fight on Feb. 20, 2021, and White had plenty to say about the event. During his Sunday night conversation with NELK on Twitch, he shared some harsh words.
The UFC president criticized Paul who is not a professional fighter and lost his most recent exhibition. He fought fellow YouTube star KSI in 2019 and lost by split-decision after six rounds. Additionally, White criticized the sport of boxing as a whole. He specifically called out the sport for having a retired champ facing an internet celebrity as an upcoming pay-per-view fight.
“Yeah, when people ask me about the state of boxing right now, that’s where it’s at,” White explained. “Didn’t that kid get beaten up by the f—ing video game kid [KSI] from England and now he’s going to fight Floyd Mayweather?”
In addition, White referenced the two men’s size difference. In a professional boxing match, fighters face each other in the same weight class. However, that’s not the case in many exhibition matches. Paul is 6’2″ and weighs around 200 pounds. In contrast, Mayweather is 5’8″ and 150 pounds.
“Doesn’t he weigh 200 pounds too? I dunno. Good luck to him,” White said in the interview about Paul facing the undefeated Mayweather.
Paul Called Out Mayweather in November
In November, Paul told TMZ that he would definitely win a fight against the undefeated champ. When asked if he could win a street fight with him, the celebrity said he would “whoop his a–.” In fact, he said it didn’t matter if they fought in an MMA octagon or a boxing ring. He also referenced his height and weight advantage and joked about his brother, Jake, as well.
“The only place I think Floyd is safe obviously is the boxing ring. But to be honest, I don’t give a f—! I don’t give a f—!” Paul exclaimed. “I would fight Floyd anytime, anywhere, any place. Doesn’t f—ing matter to me. I’m eight inches taller, I’m 40 pounds heavier, I’m half his age, I’m two times as hungry and 10 times as smart. I’m used to beating up people weaker and shorter than he is. I grew up with Jake!”
More details on the boxing exhibition match have been revealed already. Mayweather vs. Paul will be a pay-per-view event and is currently on sale utilizing a tiered payment system. The first one million viewers to purchase the bout will pay $24.99. After those sell out, the price will increase to $39.99. Next, on Dec. 29, the price will shoot up to $59.99. Finally, the event’s cost will settle at $69.99 on Feb. 11 leading up to the Feb. 20 fight.