Third time is hopefully the charm for Jake Paul and Tommy Fury when they go head-to-head this Saturday in Saudi Arabia. The rivalry between the undefeated boxers has cooked up over the past year as injuries and travel restrictions have caused two previous fights to fall through.
Worries of a third cancellation arose when Fury opted to avoid the press conference earlier in February but he later confirmed his absence as a result of his ongoing training camp.
The stakes are high for both on Saturday. A win for Tommy underlines his credentials as a true professional boxer. Victory for Paul sees him earn an official WBC ranking and future mega-money fights against fellow YouTuber KSI.
For traditionalist boxing fans, there is an intriguing Cruiserweight championship bout between Ilunga Junior Makabu and Badou Jack. Both men enter the Diriyah Arena as weathered veterans of the sport, but Makabu has particularly sparkled in the rankings after beating Aleksei Papin in his backyard back in 2019.
Where is Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury taking place?
The event will take place at the Diriyah Arena in Diriyah, Saudi Arabia, on February 26, 2023.
What time does the Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury fight start?
The Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Main Event is scheduled to start at 5PM ET in the US and 10PM GMT in the UK. The Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Undercard is scheduled to start at 2PM ET in the US and 7PM GMT in the UK.
Where can I watch Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury?
The Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury fight can be streamed on ESPN+ PPV in the US and BT Sport Box Office in the UK. You are advised to use official streams for Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury and avoid buffstreams, crackstreams or Reddit streams.
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Bitesize Predictions
| Paul vs Fury Odds | Paul vs Fury Predictions |
|---|---|
| Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Odds: (-140) / (+110) | Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury Prediction: Paul Decision |
| Ilunga Junior Makabu vs Badou Jack Odds: (-205) / (+158) | Ilunga Junior Makabu vs Badou Jack Prediction: Jack Decision |
| Bader Samreen vs Viorel Simion Odds: (-1800) / (+940) | Bader Samreen vs Viorel Simion Prediction: Samreen TKO Round 4 |
| Muhsin Cason vs Taryel Jafarov Odds: N/A | Muhsin Cason vs Taryel Jafarov Prediction: Cason TKO Round 2 |
| Adam Saleh vs Stuart Kellogg Odds: N/A | Adam Saleh vs Stuart Kellogg Prediction: Saleh Decision |
| Ziyad Almaayouf vs Ronnald Martinez Odds: N/A | Ziyad Almaayouf vs Ronnald Martinez Prediction: Almaayouf TKO Round 3 |
Paul vs Fury: Main Event Prediction
Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury
Both men, despite a combined 14-0 professional record, are better renowned for their exploits outside of the ring. Jake Paul (6-0) made his name on social media apps Vine and YouTube with a series of comedy vlogs that has seen him gather over 20 million subscribers. Meanwhile, Tommy Fury (14-0) – the half-brother of Heavyweight champion Tyson – became a household name after appearing on the reality TV show, Love Island.
For Tommy, Saturday marks his return to the ring, 10 months on from beating Daniel Bocianski on the Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte undercard. Similarly to Paul, Tommy has drawn criticism for a paper record against lesser opposition but Bocianski’s 10-1 record represented a suitable step up. The 23-year-old carries dynamite power in his right hand, but he still needs to work on creating traps for his sniping right straight. Volume is another area that Fury needs to build upon ahead of the Paul fight as he had opportunities to stop Bocianski but instead settled into trading single shots on the outside.
Paul’s last bout in October saw him secure a knockdown en route to a unanimous decision over former MMA superstar, Anderson Silva. Despite Silva finding himself in his career twilight at 47 years old, Paul impressed in a career-best victory over a vastly experienced striker. Of note was the Ohio fighter’s mature gameplan, consistently prodding with a jab to prevent Silva from settling into a comfortable pace and timing any punishing counter shots. Paul needs to work on moving laterally, however, having been punished by Tyron Woodley and Silva for failing to move his feet out of the range of incoming strikes.
Paul vs Fury Prediction: Paul Decision
Paul vs Fury: Co-Main Event Prediction
Ilunga Junior Makabu vs Badou Jack
Ilunga Junior Makabu (29-2) is best known for dropping Tony Bellew in front of a home crowd at Goodison Park. Granted, the heavy-hitting Congan was unceremoniously slumped outside the ropes just two rounds later – but the 35-year-old has built his way back to the top via the away corner. Makabu wasted much of 2021 chasing a cash-cow fight with Canelo Alvarez yet was eventually forced to settle on fighting the unheralded, Thabiso Mchunu, on a Don King fight card. Barely squeaking past via a split decision, Makabu has all but lost out on his retirement paycheck.
Whether it was the long lay-off or a lack of respect for his opponent, Makabu looked dreadful at the Packard Music Hall in Ohio. Flat-footed, indecisive in the pocket and unable to bully Mchunu in a fashion he has become accustomed to over more than a decade.
Badou Jack (27-3-3), once deemed boxing’s most unlucky man, enjoyed a surprisingly active 2022. After squashing Egyptian journeyman Hany Atiyo in under a minute, the Swedish veteran closed off the year with a split-decision victory over Richard Rivera on the AJ-Usyk undercard. Having spent much of his career on the wrong end of close scorecards, there was a feeling that Jack had earnt the rub of the green against Popeye Rivera.
The biggest talking point from the bout was a four-minute round, suspiciously the same round that Jack managed to buzz Rivera. It was an ugly fight but that has been the case time and time again with Jack – a fighter who too often allows his opponent to dictate the pace. This is a fight that excites on paper, if only for the name value and stories behind both men – but this has all the hallmarks of a stinker.
Makabu vs Jack Prediction: Jack Decision
Paul vs Fury: Undercard Predictions
Bader Samreen vs Viorel Simion
Twenty-two-year-old Bader Samreen (7-0) takes his first step up in competition against the workhorse Viorel Simion (23-9). Samreen is an explosive, reactive counter-striker with a mean pull counter. Simion, now 41, has offered himself as a game punching bag on the British scene. The Romanian once had aspirations for European belts midway through the 2010s.
Five stoppage losses in his last seven fights, however, indicate a worrying slide. Simion remains spritely in the opening rounds but will be incapable of setting any sort of pace that will ask questions about Samreen.
Samreen vs Simion Prediction: Samreen TKO Round 4
Muhsin Cason vs Taryel Jafarov
Muhsin Cason (10-0) has accumulated a double-digit record that includes just three wins over fighters with positive records. By hanging around and sparring with Jake Paul, KSI and Hasim Rahman Jr, Cason has earned a decent payday on Saturday. The American is slick on the outside despite his overreliance on his right hand but is worryingly unproductive on the inside.
Don’t be fooled by Taryel Jafarov’s (18-5) paper record, though. The Azerbaijani has been stopped brutally whenever he has stepped up from crushing cans in sports halls across Baku. Against any opposition that he has respected, Jafarov turtles up behind a high guard and has very few answers.
Cason vs Jafarov Prediction: Cason TKO Round 2
Adam Saleh vs Stuart Kellogg
American YouTuber, Adam Saleh (0-0-1), kickstarted his professional boxing career with a draw against Landon McBroom on the undercard of his brother, Austin, vs AnEsonGib. The 29-year-old has so proven a relatively uninteresting prospect – sits on the back foot, static high guard and little in the way of volume.
TikTok star, Stuart Kellogg (debut), should be the smaller man in the ring on the night, however. Evil Hero was iced within a round by Deen the Greet on a MisFits card last August and by golly, it was a poor showing. Kellogg still hasn’t overcome the amateur worries of being hit, yet wants to operate with a low lead hand.
Saleh vs Kellogg Prediction: Saleh Decision
Ziyad Almaayouf vs Ronnald Martinez
Ziyad Almaayouf (1-0) is seeking a second win in his native Saudi Arabia on Saturday. Almaayouf, trained by Buddy McGirt, stopped Alfredo Alatorre in a round at the Jeddah Superdome. It was a firecracker of a round though, with Almaayouf eating needless damage – excused by debut nerves and an eagerness to stamp a statement win.0
Ronnald Martinez (3-1-1) will look to spoil the partisan crowd – fighting outside of his native Ecuador for the first time in his professional career. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old, he lacks an educated offence and a review of the tape explains the close nature of his scorecards.
Almaayouf vs Martinez Prediction: Almaayouf TKO Round 3
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