With The Jake Paul Fight Clashing with UFC 317, Dana White Reveals How ‘Concerned’ He Is

YouTuber turned boxer, Jake Paul (11-1, 7 KOs), is gearing up to salvage whatever repertoire he has left, following the disastrous Mike Tyson fiasco, with a fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (54-6-1, 34 KOs) at the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA, on June 28. However, the fight date comes as quite a crossroads for combat sports aficionados, with it clashing with UFC 317. Will this prove to be a matter of concern for UFC’s top brass? Dana White begs to differ.

‼️ Dana White didn’t know that Jake Paul was fighting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday ❌

[Via – @BloodyElbow’s YT] pic.twitter.com/GmFZzBZiQ3

— IFN (@IfnBoxing) June 23, 2025

In conversation with MMA fighting, White was asked about his thoughts on Paul, a known, albeit controversial crowd puller, fighting on the same night as UFC 317.

“Oh really? I didn’t even f*cking know that. Who is he fighting?” he responded in an unbothered fashion.

Was White actually unaware of the fight? Or was this a continuation of the often silent, yet briefly explosive, beef between ‘The Problem Child’ and UFC’s main man? Paul, who is openly critical about the UFC, had previously claimed that he was banned from attending UFC events, a claim which White had touted as baseless.

UFC 317 will feature Ilia Topuria in the main card fighting Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title. Meanwhile, Paul’s card also features ex-UFC champion Holly Holm, making a return to boxing after 12 years. And with Holm making a comeback, it sure seems surprising that White is unaware of both the fight and the event.

But he still chose to stand his ground and state that he is completely unbothered about the events clashing. “I didn’t even know he was fighting, so that’s how concerned I am about it,” he added.

“I Don’t Care Who They Criticize”

Paul is undoubtedly aware that he has a host of doubters, including White. However, he certainly isn’t going to lose sleep over it.

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“I don’t really care, I’ve seen who they cheer for, so I don’t care who they criticize,” he said while talking to DAZN Boxing. “I understand why people want to safeguard their sport, protect it, criticize me and pull me down, all of these things, but they don’t know who I am, they don’t know how serious I take the sport.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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