President Donald Trump has proposed that influencer Jake Paul should fight former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, describing the undefeated Russian as 'just great'. The suggestion came during a sit-down interview at a recent rally, where Paul asked for Trump's advice on his next opponent.
Paul, 29, has compiled a 12-2 boxing record, with notable victories over MMA stars including Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley. However, he suffered a broken jaw in a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in December and has since indicated a possible move to mixed martial arts.
'Probably Khabib, how about Khabib?' Trump responded when Paul asked for his preference. Paul quickly accepted, replying 'I'm down'. Nurmagomedov, 37, retired from MMA in 2020 with a perfect 29-0 record, having defended the UFC lightweight title three times. He now coaches fighters including Islam Makhachev.
Trump, a close associate of UFC president Dana White, has attended numerous UFC events. Meanwhile, Paul is promoting a 16 May card featuring Francis Ngannou, with whom he has verbally agreed to a future bout. No details of a potential fight with Nurmagomedov have been confirmed.
