Jake Paul to face former Golden Gloves champ in next pro boxing bout

“I’ve always said my goal is to become a world champion,” Paul said, via MMA Junkie. “I beat a pro boxer in December in the first round, someone who’s been boxing their entire life, and what did I do next? I went straight back to camp to get ready to face my next opponent, a professional boxer who has twice as many professional fights under his belt than I do.”

Of Paul’s nine professional bouts, only two opponents — Tommy Fury and Andre August — had boxing backgrounds. His eight wins include Nate Diaz, Anderson Silva, Tryon Woodley (twice) and Ben Askren — all former MMA fighters — plus retired 39-year-old former NBA point guard Nate Robinson.

Bourland, the first-ever two-time GBO light heavyweight champion who competed in the National Junior Olympics, unretired in 2022 after initially calling it quits in 2018. He won his comeback fight against Santario Martin via fifth-round TKO.

"Jake Paul steps into the ring with his social media clout, but let's not mistake followers for experience or skill,” Bourland said, via Boxing Scene. “While he's been busy chasing likes, I've been honing my craft for years, stepping into the ring and beating real boxers. On Saturday, March 2 I will shock the world and put an end to Jake Paul's boxing career."

Paul will be donating his entire fight purse to Boxing Bullies, a non-profit organization started by Paul that teaches youth to overcome bullying through boxing-based confidence and leadership-building initiatives, to help renovate boxing gyms across Puerto Rico.