Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Imago
Credits: IMAGO
Dana White has never been one to hold his tongue, especially when it comes to Jake Paul. And this time, the UFC CEO didn’t even need to say Paul’s name to land his most recent punch, aiming for the YouTuber’s place among boxing royalty like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson.
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“This is like that Sesame Street thing, one of these things doesn’t belong. Which one is it?” said White during Adin Ross’ livestream.
For those unaware, Dana White made a surprising appearance on Adin Ross‘ livestream on Wednesday. This comes as a shock because the UFC CEO rarely makes such appearances, unlike fighters like Arman Tsarukyan, who has lately collaborated with multiple streamers. But that’s not the story here.
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Ross, who was in a very enthusiastic mood, was proudly showcasing his gym. The walls featured paintings of boxing legends, including Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali, among others. Amid that, the 25-year-old streamer also had a mural of Jake Paul. And White couldn’t contain himself from chiming in on watching that.
Although not directly, the UFC CEO jokingly referenced it with Sesame Street, which is an iconic children’s television show known for educational segments where viewers identify which item in a group does not fit. In White’s opinion, Paul can be the odd one out, considering his stature in the boxing community.
Notably, it has been only six years since ‘The Problem Child’ made his professional boxing debut. Although he boasts a record of 12-2, Paul has not become a world champion yet, let alone been in the conversation for it. Meanwhile, Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson are two of the generational boxing talents who who heightened boxing’s popularity
From Ali’s balletic footwork to Tyson’s aggressive fighting style, they had every spectator standing on their toes to watch them fight. Not just that, the two even reigned as the world heavyweight champions. So, yes, maybe, White had his reasons to poke fun at Adin Ross’ mural featuring ‘The Problem Child.’
Dana White reacts to Jake Paul being on a boxing mural next to Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali in Adin Ross’s boxing gym:
“This is like that Sesame Street thing, one of these things doesn’t belong.” 😭
via @adinross pic.twitter.com/0uYhhCQVEZ
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) April 8, 2026
And such sly digs just showcase the never-ending feud between the UFC CEO and Paul. That said, unlike White, the YouTuber turned boxer has directly criticized the leading MMA promotion and its executives.
Jake Paul questions and blames Dana White for “dying” UFC
Historically, the feud between Jake Paul and Dana White has been based on several concerns. From UFC fighter pay to Paul’s wins against MMA legends like Anderson Silva, the community has witnessed it all. But the latest shots from ‘The Problem Child’ come amid the scrutiny White-led promotion has faced lately due to lackluster bouts.
“Their investors have gotten greedy,” said Paul on Theo Von’s podcast. “And they’re not—they forgot their heart as a company. That’s the problem. And so, it’s dying…And also, MMA is not… MMA hasn’t stood the test of time because the best people in the sport become wrestlers; they just like to hold on… No, Khabib, Khamzat… This is boring. No one wants to watch that.”
Here, the term “boring” when referring to wrestling-heavy fights can be quite subjective. Because people like avid MMA enthusiasts like Joe Rogan have often labelled such matchups as tactical masterclasses, while boxers like Jake Paul always leaned towards more striking-heavy fights.
Take the UFC 326 fight between Charles Oliveira and Max Holloway, for example. While an MMA veteran like Dominick Cruz lauded Oliveira’s grappling, WBC lightweight champion Ryan Garcia shared a contrasting opinion.
Hence, despite Jake Paul’s comments against UFC as “dying” due to boring fights, Dana White hasn’t given any direct reply yet. Surely, the indirect dig at watching Paul’s mural at Adin Ross’ boxing gym may have been intentional. But then again, it is nothing new between the two.
Written by
Edited by
Aatreyi Sarkar