Jake Paul was taken to the limit by Tyron Woodley, with the YouTube star winning a split decision against the former UFC champion in a boxing match in Cleveland on Sunday, but both men walked away far richer for their efforts.
According to the Evening Standard, Paul pulled in a guaranteed $1 million for stepping into the ring. The 24-year-old, who reportedly signed a multi-fight deal with Showtime in May, will likely earn much more than that when pay-per-view receipts are counted up (Paul claimed his April bout with former MMA fighter Ben Askren drew more than $65 million in PPV revenue, earning him more than his $690,000 guaranteed purse).
Speaking to the Mirror, Paul also claimed that his ultimate payday from Sunday's fight will be lower than it could've been due to him taking a smaller cut of the earnings to help others on the card get a bigger payday. The social media star has been critical of UFC boss Dana White for underpaying fighters, which he says won't happen on his cards.
"It's coming out of my pockets for sure," Paul said. "Like, directly out of my purse.
"Everyone on the card is getting the biggest payday that they've ever had as a fighter and that's just part of my movement. Look, these fighters deserve more and I want everyone to be excited and I want everyone to know that we as fighters should take care of each other."
As for Woodley, he has also stated that Sunday's purse would be the biggest of his career. The Evening Standard reported that the 39-year-old expected to earn a minimum of $500,000 for stepping between the ropes for his boxing debut, lower than the $590,000 he pulled in for his UFC title defence against Darren Till in 2018, but his share of Sunday's PPV earnings should push him far past that mark.