Paul flattens Woodley with KO in rematch

Warning: Story contains coarse language

YouTube star Jake Paul left no doubt in his rematch with former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.

Paul knocked out Woodley at the 2:12 mark of the sixth round in the main event of a Showtime pay-per-view event Saturday in Tampa, Florida.

“The Problem Child” loaded up on a massive right hand and shut out Woodley’s lights.

“I told you I was going to f— him up,” Paul said in his postfight interview. “And I f—– him up.”

This was a rematch of the fighters’ August bout, which Paul won via split decision. Woodley stepped in on less than two weeks’ notice after Tommy Fury pulled out of his fight with Paul due to a rib injury and chest infection.

“Respect (Woodley) for taking this fight on two weeks’ notice,” Paul told the crowd at Amalie Arena. “Tommy Fury backed out like a b—-.”

Woodley said he was “good” after the loss.

The rematch between Paul and Woodley was competitive – and largely uneventful – before the finish. The boxers clinched routinely and didn’t land too many clean punches in the first 15 minutes. The fourth and fifth rounds were especially ugly.

Woodley stormed Paul with a barrage of strikes in the third round in what was arguably his best moment, but he once again struggled to be aggressive during most of the fight. That was his biggest issue in the first bout with Paul, as well. The MMA veteran moved forward a bit more often in the rematch than he did this past summer, but it often ended in him landing one shot and then clinching his opponent.

As the bigger man, Paul had success landing counters from the outside. What appeared to be an accidental elbow from Woodley opened up a cut on Paul’s forehead and bloodied his face in the third round. But he battled through it and thought it was just a matter of time before he found the knockout.

“I knew it would happen like that,” Paul said. “I was setting up the shot the whole fight. He didn’t see it coming.”

Both boxers landed 43 punches, with Paul slightly more accurate than Woodley. Paul edged his opponent 18-4 in jabs and Woodley had the upper hand in power shots by a 39-25 margin, according to CompuBox.

Paul was up on all three judges’ scorecards heading into the sixth round.

Afterward, Paul sent a message to UFC stars Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz, who were both in attendance.

“Y’all are some b—— for leaving this arena,” Paul said. “I know you don’t want that shit. I’ll take on both of y’all next. Just get out of your contract with Daddy Dana (UFC president Dana White).

“I’m (going to) f— them up, too.”

Paul said ahead of the Woodley rematch that he may consider rescheduling the Fury matchup in 2022, but it wasn’t guaranteed that would be his next fight. Ultimately, Paul said he is willing to fight “anyone, any time, (at) any place.”

He improved to 5-0 as a professional boxer and has now knocked out every person he’s faced. The 24-year-old, who gained a massive following through YouTube, has taken the boxing world by storm since making his pro debut in 2020.

Paul held knockout wins over fellow internet personality Ali Eson Gib, former NBA player Nate Robinson, and former UFC welterweight Ben Askren before stopping Woodley.

Woodley, a former UFC welterweight champion who held the title from 2016-2019, fell to 0-2 in the boxing ring.

The 39-year-old departed the UFC earlier in 2021 after losing four fights in a row. He hasn’t been victorious in MMA since his last successful title defense in 2018.

This was Woodley’s first knockout loss since 2012 and the second of his fighting career.

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