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Jake Paul has been making headlines with his boxing matches against former MMA fighters, such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Nate Diaz. The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been undefeated in his professional boxing career so far, and has been calling out bigger names in the combat sports world.
One of those names is Matt Riddle, a former UFC middleweight contender who had a controversial run in the promotion, before switching to professional wrestling with the WWE. Riddle was recently released by the WWE, and is now a free agent in the combat sports market.
According to a report by Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Jake Paul and Matt Riddle are in preliminary talks for a potential fight next year. The report did not specify if the fight would be a boxing match or an MMA bout, as both options are possible.
Jake Paul has not fought in MMA yet, but he has expressed interest in doing so in the future. He signed a deal with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) earlier this year, and hinted that he would make his MMA debut in the cage soon. He also claimed that he has been training in various martial arts disciplines, such as wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and muay thai.
Matt Riddle, on the other hand, has not fought in MMA since 2013, when he was released by the UFC after testing positive for marijuana. He then signed with Bellator MMA, but never fought for them, as he decided to pursue a career in professional wrestling instead. He joined the WWE in 2018, and became a popular star on their shows, such as NXT, Raw, and SmackDown. However, he was let go by the WWE last month, due to budget cuts.
If Jake Paul and Matt Riddle do agree to fight each other, it would be a huge spectacle for the fans of both boxing and MMA. It would also be a test of skills and styles for both fighters, as they have different backgrounds and experiences in combat sports. Jake Paul would have the advantage in boxing, while Matt Riddle would have the edge in grappling and wrestling.