UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul went back and forth during a live stream on Adin Ross’ Kick channel, debating skills, respect, and a potential sparring match. The conversation started politely but quickly became heated.
“I respect you, bro. I think that you’re awesome. I just think that if you think that I’m a bad boxer, then we should spar,” Paul said.
Topuria accepted the challenge while checking Paul’s readiness:
“Yeah, whenever you want. I’m open to it. Your jaw is OK, already?”
He then criticized Paul’s boxing skill:
“I have my personal opinion, and I’m saying that as a boxer, you suck. Because I don’t think you have good boxing. You’re just an average level of boxer, which is respect, for me. I respect it.”
Paul fired back with a jab at MMA fighters:
“I don’t need the jaw to be healed, because you’re not going to touch me, bro. You MMA fighters are all trash. I beat all of the best in your sport. That’s actually a fact.”
Topuria responded with a warning about future sparring:
“Whenever you get your jaw healed, let’s do it. But just get ready, because you’re going to need another period of time to recover.”
Sparring, Past Fights, and Respect
The discussion turned to Paul’s fight against Anderson Silva, which Topuria acknowledged but questioned:
“You gave me a name that I respect a lot. He’s a legend in the sport and did amazing things. The moment when you fought him, he was 45 or 46 years old. It’s not the same. The spirit of someone 29 years old is not the same of someone 46 years old.”
Jake Paul and Ilia Topuria just had a crazy back-and-forth on Adin Ross’ stream 😳
🗣️ Jake Paul: “Let’s spar. When I beat your ass in sparring what are you gonna say?”
🗣️ Ilia Topuria: “When you get your jaw healed, let’s do it. Just get ready because you’ll need another period… https://t.co/HRziRn7LSc pic.twitter.com/Xe48q0pShM
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 26, 2026
Paul defended his victory:
“Yeah, and that was year three for me in the sport. I could say the same thing, that he had been doing it 10 times longer and come up with excuses if I lost. But at the end of the day, it was a matchup, and I beat his ass.”
The two then debated UFC earnings and skill levels before agreeing to a potential sparring session:
“Whatever I’m saying online, I would tell you face-to-face, and not in a bad way, because I don’t disrespect you,” Topuria said. “But, for me, if we’re talking about sport and skills and technique and all that, I don’t think that you are great. I wouldn’t put you in a list of the greatest boxers or fighters or whatever. You said something right, that I don’t dictate those lists, but this is my personal opinion.”
Paul responded:
“And you’re entitled to it, but when people say that, I’ve been waiting for the moment where a big UFC fighter is actually down to spar after talking shit, because it’s going to be funny when people see what happens.”
Topuria concluded:
“I would love to fight you. I swear. Let’s fight. Let’s do it. Let’s spar. Whatever. I spar every week. I do it. That’s my life.”
