Jake Paul pops off over Dana White flaking on bet against him

Steven Rondina Published 25/04/2021

Snoop Dogg would like his $2 million, and he would like it now.

The analyst desk was one of the most popular talking points surrounding the recent Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren boxing match. But it wasn’t Al Bernstein’s noticeable discomfort with his crewmates or Oscar de la Hoya’s worrying stint on the microphone that had people talking the most on Twitter. Instead, it was a possible million-dollar bet between UFC president Dana White and famous rapper Snoop Dogg that had the world talking, and Snoop seemed ready to cash in when Jake Paul knocked out Askren in the first round.

Unfortunately for Snoop Dogg, he isn’t set to make anything on it. That’s because White is either reneging on the bet, or possibly never agreed to it in the first place.

The ringside view of Jake Paul’s TKO. @ESPNRingside pic.twitter.com/YgasSH1Br4
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 18, 2021

“I don’t even want to say what I think happened in that fight, but I can tell you this. I don’t owe Snoop $2 million. Let me make it clear right here to everybody, I have never made an illegal bet, ever. I did not make an illegal bet on Saturday night. I did not bet $2 million with Snoop or anybody,” White told Yahoo! Sports in an interview.

It’s a thorough repudiation of the bet on all levels, with White implying that the fight was rigged while also noting that the bet would be illegal if it had been made. White doubled down further by saying that if he was looking to put some money down on Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren, he could’ve gotten better betting odds through sanctioned means.

“First of all, I’m not gonna make an illegal bet. Number two, why would I bet them $1 million or $2 million, when I could do it legally in Las Vegas and get two-to-one?” White asked.

Did Dana White flake out on bet against Jake Paul?

Per MMA Fighting, the discussion of Dana White betting against Jake Paul started with a guest appearance by White on Mike Tyson’s podcast, where White stated he’d bet $1 million that Paul would lose to Askren.

@danawhite taking “put your money where your mouth is” to another level.

Full episode: https://t.co/HZCyAJefbt @jakepaul @Benaskren @SUPERJUDAH @MikeTyson #Hotboxin #DanaWhite #UFC pic.twitter.com/CNVu0JHMUs
— Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson (@hotboxinpodcast) March 10, 2021

Snoop Dogg upped the ante even further with TMZ.

“Hey Dana White, I see you got faith in your boy right? Going up against my guy Jake. You say you got a million? You’re the CEO of UFC. You got more than a million…Put up $2 million and we’ll match it,” Snoop Dogg said to TMZ.

White never publicly accepted the bet from Snoop Dogg and claims he never did so in private, either. That said, White’s claims that he’d “never make an illegal bet” are utterly bogus. In fact, White has made a show of making this exact type of bet with Snoop Dogg in the past.

Jake Paul chimes in on Dana White vs. Snoop Dogg

Jake Paul hasn’t been quiet about Dana White’s critiques of his in-ring abilities. Shortly after Paul knocked out Askren, he took to Twitter to take a swipe at the UFC president. More recently, Paul did a full Instagram story telling Dana to pay up.

What should I buy with @danawhite’s $1m?

I’m thinking a Porsche 918 Spyder???? pic.twitter.com/XVUUQuaKFE
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) April 18, 2021

The sticking point seems to be who, exactly, Dana White actually owes the money to. Though he made loud proclamations about how he was willing to drop seven figures on the fight’s outcome, both Snoop Dogg and Jake Paul are staking a claim on that money.

Either way, this is far from the first time White has had a bad read on combat sports talent. White has a history of publicly questioning the qualifications elite of fighters ranging from Fedor Emelianenko to Cris Cyborg. Not only that, but the UFC put together two different web series that center around White scouting fighters, and neither has produced any serious contenders. So Jake Paul may actually feel glad for White’s lack of faith in him.

For most people, this public scrum would be a lesson in humility. But for Dana White, expect him to do this same routine the next time a combat sports contest threatens to draw better than a rival UFC card.

Steven Rondina

About Steven Rondina

Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.

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