Hall of Fame trainer Teddy Atlas is backing Youtube star Jake Paul to overcome former UFC champion Tyron Woodley - this coming Sunday night, in the main event of a Showtime Pay-Per-View card.
Woodley, 39-years-old, was at one time regarded as one of the best MMA fighters in the world - but he doesn't have any experience in boxing.
Paul, 24-years-old, is taking part in his fourth pro bout - but he's never faced anyone with the combat sports experience of Woodley.
“[Paul] can sell it…It’s because there’s going to be credibility attached to it,” Atlas explained on his "THE FIGHT" podcast, according to MMA Junkie.
“He’s fighting a guy who’s going to be tough. He’s fighting a guy who’s a striker, who was a champion, and that’s part of the reason it’s going to sell and part of the reason he picked Woodley because you can attach credibility to this fight saying the guy could win.”
Woodley lost his last four fights in the UFC. He was eventually released by the promotion.
Back in April, Paul scored a first round stoppage over another MMA veteran, Ben Askren, who is also good friends with Woodley.
But Woodley is bigger, stronger and a better striker than Askren, who was undersized and out of shape for the fight.
Having said that, Atlas expects Paul to come away with the win - by knockout.
“I’ll say it, and this is not to be disrespectful – I already said the things I needed to say about how much I respect [Woodley] – but he’s shot,” Atlas said.
“He has the look of a shot fighter in MMA and UFC. Now a lot of people are going to say because he’s a professional fighter and a former champion that he’s going to beat Paul. He’s in a bad place mentally. He’s in a bad place physically. He’s not in his best place. Now having said what I said, losing those last four fights, 39 years old, he lost those to real fighters.
“Paul’s the bigger guy. He’s strong. [He] has that advantage and he has the opportunity to throw, which is a decent right hand that he possesses,” Atlas said. “He’s got the opportunity to throw it and land it because of the style of Woodley and the mistakes of Woodley. [Woodley] stands straight up. He’s predicable. He throws that slow jab. He throws it halfway out. He lets you get close. Paul’s got a good right hand. He’s going to land the right hand. So bad news is, Paul is going to knock him out.”
