Israel Adesanya explains how Jake Paul assisted in securing his new UFC contract

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has explained the role Jake Paul has played in the discussion regarding fighter pay.

It was recently announced that Israel Adesanya has signed a new contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. The lucrative new deal is set to make him one of the highest-paid earners in the promotion, which should come as no surprise given his position as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the sport.

Someone who enjoys the subject of high-level fighters getting paid a lot of money is none other than Jake Paul. The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been on the case in recent months by constantly going after UFC president Dana White, suggesting that they aren’t properly compensating their roster in comparison to the kind of figures we see in boxing.

White has hit back at him, but Adesanya admitted during a recent interview with talkSPORT that he isn’t opposed to what “The Problem Child” is doing.

“I think Jake Paul was the right guy to (challenge Dana White) at the time,” Adesanya said. “He was one of the guys to get this conversation going that Francis jumped in. You have me even now speaking about it.

“Just because I got my new deal doesn’t mean I just shut up about it. I’m not wrong in saying I think everyone should be getting paid equally for their work. I get paid quite nicely, and I’m still greedy. This is the game we’re in, in prizefighting.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

This conversation, as controversial as it may be to some, isn’t going to stop for quite some time.

Do you think Israel Adesanya is right about Jake Paul? What changes, if any, will we see to fighter pay in the next couple of years? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!