Bryan Battle welcomes Jake Paul MMA fight: "I would take that fight in a heartbeat"
Bryan Battle has thrown his name into the hat of potential opponents for Jake Paul's first MMA fight, which he believes would be a relatively easy matchup.
Bryan Battle vs. Jake Paul isn't a fight anyone was expecting, but the ex-UFC welterweight isn't letting any opportunities pass him by. He is more than willing to be 'The Problem Child's' opponent in the latter's first swing at MMA next year. It would, after all, be the biggest payday of Battle's life, as well as the easiest, at least according to the man himself.
Bryan Battle has his sights set on Jake Paul
A few days prior to his split-decision middleweight win over Dalton Rosta at PFL Charlotte: Battle vs. Rosta, Bryan Battle joined Jake Noecker for an interview on Home of Fight. Among the topics he addressed was a potential fight with Jake Paul, who has become a lightning rod in the combat sports world. Once an influencer boxer who eventually tried his hand at fighting true professionals, including ex-UFC fighters, Paul is now the face of the MVP x PFL merger, and with Battle currently fighting under the PFL banner, he would more than welcome a bout with him (14:46):
"I mean, everyone's the biggest fight with the best opponent. That's what he should do, you know what I'm saying? I don't think I'm quite old enough for his age bracket, you know what I'm saying? I don't know if I quite hit the age requirement to fight Jake, but God, I would take that fight in a heartbeat, brother, you know what I'm saying? That'd be an easy check."
Unfortunately for Battle, another fighter has been on Paul's radar for his first opponent in MMA, and it is none other than Nate Diaz, who 'The Problem Child' beat via unanimous decision in a boxing match back in 2023. Diaz, though, has shown little interest in avenging his loss to Paul, and faced someone else in his return to MMA at MVP MMA: Rousey vs. Carano, where he lost to Mike Perry via second-round TKO. However, in the event that an MMA bout with Paul fails to materialize, Battle already has his second choice, and that is the aforementioned Perry.
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Both men are former UFC welterweights, but their paths never crossed, as Perry left the promotion before Battle was even a part of the roster. Though before anything else, Battle must await the outcome of Perry's upcoming MMA fight with Dillon Danis at Duel Arena 1 on Aug. 29.
