Jake Paul open to signing 1-fight UFC deal to face McGregor or Masvidal

Jake Paul's latest pitch to the UFC revolves around potential matchups against two of the biggest MMA stars.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer said Saturday he's willing to sign a one-fight contract with the UFC to face either Conor McGregor or Jorge Masvidal, but only under certain terms.

In a statement to ESPN's Marc Raimondi, Paul proposed that if he wins the fight against McGregor or Masvidal, the UFC would have to start gradually paying its fighters 50% of company revenue over the next five years - a huge increase from the current estimated 18%-20% - and offer them full health care.

If he loses, Paul said he'd donate his fight purse to UFC athletes who earn less than $50,000 per matchup and would "never mention the UFC again."

"Fighting Conor is what I want most, but (I) would fight Masvidal as well," Paul said. "I know it might seem impossible to beat these guys in MMA, but when you believe, you can achieve anything. I would ask for six months to train."

To fight McGregor or Masvidal in the UFC, Paul said the promotion would need to pay him an amount similar to what Brock Lesnar and CM Punk made during their Octagon stints. Lesnar was paid a guaranteed $2.5 million for his final UFC bout in 2016, and Punk made about $1 million per fight, according to Raimondi.

"There are no losers in this proposal," Paul said. "UFC has a massive revenue-generating event. If I win, (UFC president) Dana (White) will change the future of UFC fighters forever. If I lose, there will be a one-time bonus to a lot of fighters, MMA doesn't have to hear from me again, and Conor (or) Jorge win again and get to shut up Jake Paul."

Paul issued a similar challenge to White in January, saying he would retire from boxing and fight Masvidal in the UFC if White increased fighter pay and committed to long-term health care.

The 25-year-old internet personality has become one of the biggest stars in combat sports since making his professional boxing debut in 2020. He's largely made a name for himself by knocking out former UFC fighters, including Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren.