Could Jake Paul Really Become the Ultimate Champion in Boxing and MMA?

Jake Paul, the popular YouTuber-turned-boxer, has set his sights on becoming the greatest cruiserweight in the world by defeating Australia's Jai Opetaia within the next year. He also expressed support for Tim Tszyu, the WBO super welterweight champion, and Alexander Volkanovski, the UFC featherweight champion.

Ahead of his upcoming bout against Ryan Bourland on March 2 in Puerto Rico, Paul emphasized his determination to secure a title shot against Opetaia, currently ranked as one of boxing's most recognized athletes. Despite Bourland's limited recent activity in the ring, Paul sees him as a stepping stone towards his goal of challenging Opetaia.

"I've seen some clips of him and he's a great fighter," Paul said of Opetaia. "Great, great fighter. He had that crazy knockout in his last fight (against Ellis Zorro), timed that perfectly. And he has star potential. Has that star power. It could be very interesting to see what happens over the next 18 months to two years."

Regarding Opetaia, who is preparing for a rematch against Mairis Briedis for the IBF strap, Paul acknowledged his skills and star potential, predicting an interesting development in the boxing scene over the next 18 months to two years.

When asked to compare himself to Opetaia, Paul expressed confidence in his abilities, stating that he believes he is the best fighter in the world based on his natural talent, IQ, adaptability, toughness, preparation, and team support.

"I'm the best in the world," Paul stressed. "That's what I believe. And that's what every fighter who gets to where they want to be believes. And you have to believe it before the statistics or rounds of fights put you there.

I believe all things considered, my natural ability, my talent, my IQ, all of these things, my ability to learn, to adapt, my toughness, preparation, my will power, my team, all of the things behind me, I believe that I am the best fighter in the world."

In addition to his ambitions in boxing, Paul voiced his support for Tszyu, describing him as a fighter in his prime and favoring him to defeat Keith Thurman in an upcoming bout in Las Vegas. He also praised Volkanovski's resilience and character, predicting a victory for him in his featherweight title defense at UFC 298 against Ilia Topuira.

"He's great," Paul said of Tszyu. "And I think he's going to win. He's in his moment, in his stride, where as Keith Thurman is not. His time has passed."

Despite Volkanovski's recent loss to Islam Makhachev, Paul believes in his ability to overcome the odds and break a UFC curse for fighters over 35 in title fights between flyweight and welterweight divisions.

"I think he (Volkanovski) is going to win," Paul said. "So it could be 28 or 29 years old."

Looking ahead to his own fight against Bourland, Paul sees it as an opportunity to face a challenging opponent who will push him to become the best version of himself in the ring. He expressed determination to continue his path towards becoming a world champion, criticizing other big-name fighters for their reluctance to sign contracts and engage in meaningful bouts.