After more than a year of hype and two failed previous attempts to meet in the ring, Tommy Fury and Jake Paul are finally set for their 185-pound bout at Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The fight will take place at 2 p.m. ET and available on pay-per-view through ESPN+.
Paul-Fury I was first set to take place in December 2021 in Tampa, Fla., but Fury pulled out late with an injury/illness. Paul ended up fighting and beating Tyron Woodley.
Paul-Fury II was then set for August in New York, but Fury was denied entry to the U.S. Paul ended up fighting and defeating Anderson Silva in October instead.
The YouTube star-turned-boxer enters with a 6-0 record with four knockouts. Paul has received plenty of criticism for defeating the likes of social media influencer AnEsonGib, retired NBA player Nate Robinson and aging former MMA fighters Anderson Silva and Woodley.
Regardless, he is the -180 favorite at DraftKings, where Paul had been backed by 73 percent of the total bets and 77 percent of the handle as of Friday.
Fury, 23, is the half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The reality television star is 8-0 with four knockouts to begin his boxing career.
“I am in boxing and have goals to be a world champion, so if I am to do that, I can’t be dodging people like Jake Paul,” Fury said at Thursday’s press conference. “Believe you me, the past two fights didn’t happen because of it being out of my hands.
“Third time’s a charm and we’re here. I’m in super fit condition and I am ready to go and put this all to bed.”
The bout will be contested at 185 pounds and is scheduled for eight rounds. The winner will earn a place in the cruiserweight rankings.
Paul has likewise promised a knockout while referencing the journeymen boxers Fury has largely faced to date.
Most of Fury’s opponents thus far have been known as fighters with shallow resumes. He did score a decision in his most recent fight over Daniel Bocianski, who entered with a 10-1 record. Bocianski was coming off a TKO loss, and Paul was quick to point out that Fury failed to knock him out.
“He is a good boxer, I give him that credit,” Paul said. “He is fast, he has got length and is strong.
“He looks like the Michelin man or something, but there’s nothing he can do to stop me. He doesn’t have power. He couldn’t knock out Daniel Bocianski, or knock out the taxi drivers he has been put in there with.
“He has never been put in there with someone who wasn’t there to lose.”
The winner will also earn the new WBC Diriya Belt.
“For the last two-and-a-half years all it has been is, ‘when are you fighting Jake Paul?’ and to even mention my name in the same sentence as that is disrespectful to me who has been boxing my whole life,” Fury said. “I am going to clinically knock this guy out early.”
In the other half of the co-main event, Badou Jack will face WBC cruiserweight champion Ilunga Makabu.
–Field Level Media
