[MMA NEWS ARCHIVES]
Here is a story from earlier this year of tonight’s UFC Vegas 41 headliner Marvin Vettori bashing Jake Paul and the MMA media for “showering” him with attention. The following story is presented in its original, unaltered form.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED APRIL 5, 2021, 3:30 PM]
UFC on ABC 2 headliner Marvin Vettori has withstood about all he can bear of the Jake Paul craze.
Like it or not, Jake Paul is one of the most covered names in combat sports. After amassing a strong YouTube following, it was only natural that there would be some attention bestowed upon the 24-year-old as he ventured into the world of boxing as a crossover star of sorts.
The attention he has received from media and fans has exceeded all expectations, though. This has been the case for each of Paul’s fights to this point, but the coverage leading up to his April 17 boxing match against Ben Askren has been next level. It could even be said that the build-up, in some media circles, has been resemblant of a full-on superfight.
Naturally, some people are going to take exception to all the attention Paul is receiving, including purists of the sport and some fighters. Marvin Vettori is among these people, and he believes that fighters like himself are being disrespected by all the attention Paul is receiving that he feels is both unwarranted and unfair.
“It’s bad, it’s disrespectful,” Vettori said about Jake Paul in an interview with MMA Fighting. “The most disrespectful is also this bullsh*t ass media that I’ve seen all over where they give him credit. With media, it’s a give and take, but at the end of the day the silver lining of every media should be informing. It’s lost. It’s lost by far in general. It could be anything. It could (be) news, it could be MMA. It could be anything. It’s kind of sad to see this.
“They’re just after any kind of clickbait to put on the news, and the content is just sh*t and it’s getting sh*ttier. It’s sad.”
Vettori fails to see any reason why Paul should be credited for anything. Some people believe that his business sense and ability to sustain and grow fan interest in his fights is worth commending. For Vettori, he just sees it all as one big slap in the face.
“To see that people are just jumping on some YouTube like that, it’s just sad,” Vettori said. “There’s people out there who have been giving their whole life to this game, and this guy has been f*king around with other little kids until he came a little famous. Then to try to jump into fighting other [YouTubers], whatever it is, not fighters and picking and choosing. Even just making more money, it’s just disrespectful.”
Marvin Vettori Willing To Fight Jake Paul For Free
Marvin Vettori would like to fight Paul himself, but it’s not what you’re thinking. He doesn’t want to get ensnared in all the Jake Paul hoopla, even if it would come with a large payday. No, he wants to sink Paul like the Titanic but without all the print documenting it.
“Just tell him, somebody go get him and I want to make it a surprise,” Vettori began in his perfect scenario. “I want to show you something. Just bring him to Huntington. Once he steps in that door, we just lock the door. Trust me, we wouldn’t be unfair. It’s not like we would jump him or something but it’s just like you want to experiencing fighting? Good. Get into the cage and I’ll be glad to welcome him.
“I’m all about it,” Vettori said. “Like I said, I’ll basically do it for free. I would.”
In what is no doubt some form of irony, Vettori is contributing to the same media headlines that he detests by addressing Paul in such a coverable manner. There is very little doubt that these flammable comments will be covered by many outlets, thus giving Paul even more attention. Perhaps Vettori is OK with that if his comments work towards what he believes to be the greater good: either minimizing the “disrespectful” coverage of Paul in the long run or enticing the YouTuber to appear in Huntington Beach, California, where a locked gym and tape fists would be awaiting his arrival.
Do you agree with Marvin Vettori’s take on Jake Paul and all the attention he’s receiving?
