Jake Paul’s opponent in his next bout will be Andre August (10-1 as a professional boxer), officials told ESPN on Wednesday.
The YouTuber-turned-award-winning fighter will face August on December 15 in Orlando, Florida. The fight will be at cruiserweight (200 pounds) and has an eight-round contract.
This marks a change in strategy for Paul, who in his boxing career has faced mostly older MMA fighters who have made a name for themselves in the UFC.
Although this fight was less expensive than the previous one, Paul’s critics wanted him to fight legitimate boxers — and August, Paul’s veteran opponent, represented that.
“I’m a professional boxer and I want to be a world champion, so I need to follow the path to greatness against people who have been boxing all their lives,” Paul said in a statement.
The card will be broadcast on DAZN and is not a pay-per-view event.
Paul (7-1, 4 KOs) is coming off a unanimous decision win over former UFC star Nate Diaz in August. Before that, the Ohio native who lives and trains in Puerto Rico, suffered his first loss, against Tommy Fury.
Paul, 26, also owns boxing wins over former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley (two).
“The great Terence Crawford went 9-14 in his ninth fight, Canelo Alvarez went 0-1, and Gervonta Davis fought a 31-fight opponent,” said Nakisa Bidarian, Paul’s teammate. and founder of Most Valuable Promotions. “But Terence, Canelo and Gervonta weren’t watched by the world. Jake Paul is doing it, and he’s put it all on the line again, taking a 10-1 opponent.”
August, 35, is on a five-fight winning streak. This will be the Houston-based fighter’s first time competing in an eight-round bout.
“Jake Paul has money, fame, a team and resources but he doesn’t have my hunger,” August said in a statement. “When the bell rings, I’m going to go straight to Jake Paul and ring him and put him back on YouTube forever.”
The main event of the card will be the WBC women’s super middleweight title fight between Shadasia Green and Franchón Crews-Dezurn.
