Jake Paul shoots down Woodley rematch, puts focus on Tommy Fury

Jake Paul wants another step up in competition, and that means no rematch with former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer said earlier this week that a second fight against Woodley "doesn't make sense" after beating him via split decision in their highly anticipated Aug. 29 bout.

Paul and Woodley appeared to agree to a rematch moments after their fight under the condition that the latter got a tattoo that reads "I love Jake Paul."

Since then, Woodley said he'll get the tattoo only after Paul signs a contract for the rematch. Ready to move on, Paul believes the former champ threw away a lucrative opportunity.

"If he would've gotten the tattoo, like now, and that clip goes viral, and everyone's like, 'Jake, do it, do it,' I would be like, 'I kind of have to do this,'" Paul said during an appearance on the "Full Send Podcast." "But he f----- up."

Ever since he entered the professional boxing world in 2020, Paul has made a point of facing a more skilled opponent than before each time he's stepped into the ring.

After beating former UFC fighters in back-to-back contests, Paul believes it's finally time to take on someone with professional boxing experience.

"I think it's on to bigger and better things," he said. "I want to fight a real boxer.

"I think Tommy Fury's probably at the top of that list. He's skilled, he's undefeated, and he's a real boxer. And he has like four million followers on Instagram, which is good engagement."

Paul said it's important for him to face tougher opposition as his boxing career progresses - and not worry as much about scoring easy wins - so people still care.

"I can go in right now and fight the infamous jiu-jitsu guy who doesn't shut the f--- up on social media (Dillon Danis), but it's a hard sell," Paul said. "It's like, 'This guy just beat a UFC Hall of Fame legendary striker. We're not going to put him up against a jiu-jitsu guy in a boxing match.'"

Fury, the half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, expressed interest in clashing with Paul after his own victory on the high-profile event's undercard last month. Tommy is an up-and-coming boxer with a 7-0 record and has a big fanbase in the United Kingdom after appearing on a reality television show in 2019.

Paul has been favored in his four professional bouts against Ali Eson Gib, Nate Robinson, Ben Askren, and Woodley, and he's ready to be the underdog for once.

"I almost want to go into a fight where it's like, 'Oh, there's no way he's going to do this,' and I want to just continue to prove people wrong," Paul said.