JAKE PAUL has responded to allegations of “rigging” his fight with Anderson Silva.
The YouTuber-turned boxer beats UFC legend Silva on points over eight rounds last weekend in Arizona.
But keyboard warriors took to social media to suggest Paul fixed the fight while others discredited the result due to Silva’s age.
Paul, 25, said on The MMA Hour: âI think smart people with intelligence are giving me props and respect.
âLike the WBC President [Mauricio Sulaimán] saying that anyone who says Jake is not a real boxer is just bitter and is a hater.
“People like Teddy Atlas showing me mad respect, a lot of fighters showing me mad respect, a lot of MMA guys texting me saying, âYou look really sharp, that was the best youâve fought.’
“Ryan Garcia showing me respect. So the smart people who I care about are showing that love.
“There are the people who will always be there in my career who are discrediting it.
“Now, theyâre saying it was rigged. It went from, âJakeâs going to get knocked out by Anderson,â to, âOh, that was rigged.â”
Paul was forced to deny baseless allegations of match fixing after his wins over former UFC pair Ben Askren, 38, and Tyron Woodley, 40.
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And after beating Silva, 47, in the most legitimate victory of his 6-0 career, the American found himself in the exact same spot.
Paul said: âI lose faith in my generation and my peers, and us as a society and a world when I see that type of stuff and that type of stupidity.
“It just sucks. It sucks because I worked so hard for this.
“I dedicate everything, sacrifice everything, every single day, bust my balls, have a 15-person team working around the clock to help me become the best boxer possible, and when I do something like beating Anderson Silva, they try to take it away from me.
“But I know deep down, and I guess thatâs all that really matters.â
