Bellator MMA President Scott Coker has confirmed that his promotion is in talks with rising boxing sensation Jake Paul.
Paul, who made his name as a widely-followed YouTuber and Disney star, ventured into combat sports in 2020. After victories in the ring over fellow Internet personality AnEsonGib and former NBA athlete Nate Robinson, Paul's competition increased to MMA veterans in 2021.
In three outings, "The Problem Child" knocked out Ben Askren in one round and defeated former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley twice, the second of which ended in brutal fashion last December.
Having moved to 5-0 and begun to receive more respect for both his in-ring abilities and apparent pursuit for improved fighter pay outside it, Paul's prominence on the combat sports circuit continues to rise.
While his next steps and opponent in the squared circle are unclear, Paul has seemed increasingly keen on trying his hand at MMA in the future, a desire that's followed constant back and forth with UFC President Dana White.
That hat feud means an appearance in the Octagon is hard to envision. However, another promotional kingpin would be happy to welcome the Cleveland native in with open arms.
Coker Tells Paul "We're Here"
While White has always refused to entertain the idea of getting the likes of Jake and Logan Paul onboard in the UFC, Bellator's Coker has consistently displayed the opposite mindset.
The 59-year-old has previously expressed an interest in doing business with the successful Paul brothers, a sentiment he once again shared during a post-fight media scrum at Bellator 275 in Dublin, Ireland, this past weekend.
Acknowledging Paul's hope to extend his record to 10-0 before calling time on his in-ring career, Coker suggested dialogue about a potential move to the Bellator cage soon after Paul's boxing retirement has occurred.
“If Jake Paul is serious and wants to do it, we’re here. We’re already talking about (it). You know, when I say talking about it, he’s with Showtime boxing and he did the fight with T-Wood (Tyron Woodley). There’s dialogue... I think he wants to do 10 boxing fights and then come over to MMA,” Coker revealed. (h/t talkSPORT)
With Coker referencing Paul's boxing matches with Woodley, it is possible that Bellator is in talks with Paul about boxing a Bellator contracted-fighter as opposed to Paul making the move over to MMA, which would truly be a game-changer for the promotion.
Given Paul's exchanges with Dana White, which even included a recent diss track, it would certainly not be surprising to see "The Problem Child" look to deal some damage to the 52-year-old's promotion by joining one of its largest rivals.
Would you like to see Jake Paul take Scott Coker up on his offer and enter the Bellator cage?