Jake Paul opponent responds to fight rigging allegations after being knocked out

Former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley, has addressed allegations that he was paid to lose in his 2021 fight against YouTuber-turned-boxer, Jake Paul.

In their first encounter, the two stars battled it out until a decision was reached, with Paul emerging victorious. Four months later, Woodley stepped in at short notice for a rematch with the young American after Tommy Fury had to withdraw due to injury.

The rematch saw 'The Problem Child' secure a stunning knockout in the sixth round, eliminating the need for judges. Fans were left shocked when Woodley, who struggled in the first match, was knocked out by the former UFC champion.

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This second defeat to Paul marked the last time the ex-MMA star set foot in the boxing ring. Woodley had turned to boxing after leaving the UFC following four consecutive losses to Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, Colby Covington and Vicente Luque.

Since his debut in 2020, Paul has faced accusations of fixing fights. He initially made his mark in the sport by defeating fellow YouTubers such as Deji Olatunji and AnEsonGib, before moving on to fight established fighters.

So far, he has triumphed over Ben Askren, Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz and Woodley, with his only loss being to Tyson Fury's brother Tommy last year. Even as he prepares for his upcoming bout with Mike Tyson, some fans are already labelling the fight as 'rigged' should he emerge victorious.

In a sensational statement captured on a viral social media video, a man purporting to be the cousin of Tyron Woodley claimed the former UFC champion took money to lose in his second fight with Jake Paul. The controversial clip contains an interview where fans weigh in on the potential Tyson versus Paul bout, but it's Julian Woodley's audacious accusation about the 2021 match-up between 'The Problem Child' and Woodley that has sparked online debates.

"If it's paid off, Jake Paul. If not, Mike Tyson is gonna knock him out... Tyron Woodley is my literally f*****g cousin. My name is Julian Woodley. So I know for a fact, that m********r got paid to take the knock," he declared.

This extraordinary assertion comes without any solid proof, presumably reflecting a humorous fabrication by the fan in question. Even Tyron Woodley himself addressed the interview claims, responding on X the platform formerly known as Twitter with the dismissive retort: "N**** wish he was my kinfolk."

During a media briefing prior to the now-cancelled match with Tyson, Paul lashed out at accusations that he fixes his fights. He defended himself: "A lot of people are doubting me, a lot of people are saying if Jake wins then the fight is rigged because of how great he looks.

"Age is just a number, he's a killer and he's a warrior. He's been doing this his whole entire life so it's second nature to him. I've been doing it for four years and I've been doing it at a super-high level but I'm going to prove I can out-box Mike Tyson. I'll be the one doing the killing."

The anticipated showdown between both fighters, Paul and Tyson, is scheduled for Friday, November 15 at Arlington's AT&T Stadium potentially in front of a staggering crowd of 90,000 spectators. Tyson has not stepped into the ring professionally since 2005 after facing defeat against Kevin McBride, while his most recent clash was against Roy Jones Jr behind closed doors in 2020.

As for Paul, the 27-year-old, previously triumphed over ex-UFC contender Mike Perry in July in what was his latest combat showing. Tyson's commitment to the upcoming fight has been called into question by fans following a surprising revelation.

In his recent conversation with Jimmy Kimmel, 'Iron Mike' Tyson claimed he's been putting in six-hour training sessions. "I am training extremely hard, I do six hours a day. I start at 11am and might leave the gym at 5pm," Tyson shared.

A clearly surprised Kimmel responded: "Oh no. 11am? So that's six hours straight, or is there a lunch break? " The former heavyweight champion conceded that he does take a short break, to which an astonished Kimmel exclaimed: "Oh no."