Sean O’Malley and Ryan Garcia warn Jake Paul about dangerous risks ahead of his Dec 19 fight with Anthony Joshua, calling the matchup extremely unsafe.
Former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and boxing star Ryan Garcia have issued grave warnings to Jake Paul ahead of his December 19 clash with Anthony Joshua.
Also read: Nakisa Bidarian confirms Paul will face Joshua
Speaking on his YouTube channel, O’Malley said he was shocked by the physical mismatch.
“Did you see the size difference between Anthony and Jake? Did you see how fucking huge that guy is? 6’6, 265,” he said.
“This fight, as a friend of Jake, is like, I’m scared.”
O’Malley added that the potential consequences extend far beyond boxing records.
“Getting knocked out by someone like that changes lives. It can change the way you think. Bad concussions are scary.”
The former UFC champion said simply surviving the bout would be a major achievement.
“If Jake goes to a decision and loses a decision to A.J., I think that’s a win. That’s a massive win.”
Meanwhile, Garcia—who is preparing for a title fight against Mario Barrios—told the Emily Austin Show that he hopes Joshua sleeps Paul and expects the YouTuber-turned-boxer to “run into a lot of pain on the night.”
Paul faces a dramatic step up in competition as he meets the 2012 Olympic gold medalist and former unified heavyweight world champion at the Kaseya Centre in Miami.
The fight will stream live on Netflix.
Also read: I want to fight Joshua, says Mike Tyson
The bout comes after Paul’s planned exhibition with Gervonta “Tank” Davis was scrapped following a domestic violence lawsuit filed against Davis.
