The back and forth barbs traded between UFC president Dana White and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul have made plenty of headline fodder in recent months.

Paul has incessantly challenged White around how much the executive pays his fighters, all the way down to alleged substance abuse.

White has a history of welcoming friendly fire and competition and isn’t afraid to mix it up with a war of words himself at any given time. 

Paul has also felt the ire of White many times. 

In an interview with BoxingScene.com, when White was asked if Paul has been too pesky for his liking, he talked down the severity of the feud.

"He really hasn't been a thorn in my side,” said White. “I really don't hate him like people think I hate him. He’s out there doing his thing. He's a young guy. He's got a fanbase and he's trying to make some money. So I don't ever fault anybody for that."

After beating former UFC fighters like Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren in 2021, Paul has also pushed for crossover fights with active UFC stars like Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal.

When White was asked if his much-discussed Zuffa Boxing was still a priority to get off the grounds, especially since his MMA fighter are increasingly seeking boxing matches to satisfy their careers, and wallets, White said "it's a tough one.”

"Obviously when there is this underground swell from the fans and from the media and the event builds up into something like Floyd Mayweather-Conor McGregor was, you saw how that worked out. I ended up doing it,” said White. “But I haven't seen anything that big and that crazy since. I'm doing fights every Saturday, and I have a ton of up-and-coming talent. That’s what the UFC does. If there is a fight that can be made, that’s big, that my fans really want to see, I usually do it.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com.