Sean O’Malley admits he fears for Jake Paul’s safety in upcoming boxing match with Anthony Joshua: “I’m scared” | BJPenn.com

Sean O’Malley admits he is worried for his friend Jake Paul in his upcoming boxing match with Anthony Joshua.

Paul (12-1) will take on former two-time heavyweight champion in Joshua (28-4) on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. It’s a matchup that took many fans and pundits by surprise, as ‘The Problem Child’ was originally scheduled to compete in an exhibition bout with WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis. That proposed ‘Tank’ matchup ultimately fell apart and Paul signed to fight Joshua.

For former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley, a close friend of Jake Paul, the upcoming fight with Anthony Joshua is cause for concern.

“Did you see the size difference between Anthony? Did you see how huge that guy is? 6’6, 265,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel (h/t MMA Junkie). “This fight, as a friend of Jake’s, is like, I’m scared. Getting knocked out by someone like that changes lives. It doesn’t just change your career path; it can change lives. It can change the way you think. Getting knocked out, major concussions are scary. You’ve got one damn brain, and he’s willing to go out there and fight. That’s absolutely insane. It scares me.”

Sean O’Malley continued by suggesting that if Jake Paul can go the distance with Anthony Joshua, that would be a win in itself.

“If Jake gets to a decision and loses a decision to AJ, I think that’s a win. That’s a huge win. If he goes out and goes eight three-minute rounds with Anthony Joshua, that’s a win.”

As for ‘Suga’, it was recently announced that the former bantamweight champion will return to the UFC 324 main card lineup for a fight with Song Yadong in January.

O’Malley (18-3 MMA) will enter the bout hoping to snap a two-fight losing skid. ‘Suga’ recently competed at the UFC 317 event in June, where he fell short in his bid to regain the title from rival Merab Dvalishvili. O’Malley’s most recent victory came back at UFC 299 in March 2024, where he scored a decision victory over Marlon Vera to successfully win the promotion’s 135 pound title.

Meanwhile, Song Yadong (22-8-1 MMA) last competed at February’s UFC event in Seattle, where he earned a technical decision victory over former titleholder Henry Cejudo. Prior to that triumph, ‘The Kung Fu Kid’ had suffered a decision loss to Petr Yan.

Are you surprised that Jake Paul has signed up to box Anthony Joshua? How do you see the fight going?