The topic of celebrity boxing is at an all-time high, with the Paul brothers leading the charge. Some are not a fan of these theatrics, but MMA legend Demetrious Johnson has a lot of respect for those competing in the ring.
Johnson competed for many years in the UFC, building a resume is one of the most dominant champions the promotion has ever seen. He has since moved on to ONE, where his results have been mixed at best.
Speaking in a recent interview, Mighty Mouse was asked about his thoughts on the current state of boxing, with YouTubers Logan and Jake Paul being among the highest watched fighters at the moment. While many people are not a fan of this type of combat, Demetrious was actually respectful, and praised them and all other social media influencers who take on boxing.
“When you have unlimited money, when you have millions of dollars and you don’t have to do a 9-5 job, you have the best access to the trainers, you have the best access to nutrition, you train for eight weeks for somebody, you are gonna become the product of something. So people think that Jake Paul, Logan Paul, they just got off the couch playing video games, that’s not the f—king case. These guys are training like full-time athletes. These guys train better than some of the professional athletes that have been in the game for five or 10 years,” Johnson said (h/t MMAjunkie.com).
“I support the YouTubers, the TikTokers and the thing is, at the end of the day it’s about making money. Those guys have such a big following and a lot of the athletes complain how Jake Paul, Logan Paul, those guys are making million-dollar paydays and us athletes have been in this sport for years and will never see a payday like that. The reality is your brand and your likeness or your following is what sells, and I’ve learned that from when I was in a North-America-based promotion and it’s proven to this day.”
It is somewhat surprising to hear that Demetrious Johnson is so supportive of the Paul brothers. Then again, he’s always been respectful throughout his entire career, and he does bring up good points.
