Brazilian influencer Thomas Oliveira, a.k.a. FaZe Temper, thanks Jake Paul for opening the doors for online personalities into the world of boxing, but would like to see Paul step up and face younger and real pugilists going forward.
Oliveira, who headlines Saturday’s Misfits Boxing 16 card opposite Josh Brueckner in Miami, looks to keep his momentum going after a first-round knockout over Gintaras Zukauskas in September 2023. While he applauded Paul’s recent stoppage of BKFC star Mike Perry, the fact that most of Paul’s victories came over UFC veterans leaves Oliveira with questions.
“I knew it wouldn’t be easy and I thought Jake would win, but it was harder than I imagined,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting. “Mike Perry doesn’t stop. It doesn’t matter if he’s getting punched, he kept walking forward at Jake. He’s crazy. I respect him, but it’s different when you’re boxing an MMA guy, a bare-knuckle guy. Jake’s focused on this for six years, training with the best people he can.”
Paul is 10-1 as a professional boxer, beating the likes of Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and now Perry. His next match is scheduled for Nov. 15, an eight-round clash with 58-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson.
“The only hard fight he’s had so far was when he fought a professional boxer who’s closer to his age, Tommy [Fury], and he didn’t win that fight, but I respect Jake for everything he’s done for the boxing scene,” Oliveira said. “It’s not easy to do what he’s done, so I tip my hat to him. If it wasn’t for him, KSI and Logan [Paul and] I wouldn’t be doing this.
“[Jake could] select harder opponents to fight, but you can’t criticize him because he’s winning. Not only he’s winning the fights, he’s winning money and attention and helping the sport of boxing, bringing more eyeballs to this sport. Personally, I would like to see him fight someone closer to his level, professional boxers, but at the of the day he’s the one that chooses what he wants to do.
“If people online want to see him fight someone else, why don’t they start training and do it? People like to talk, but never go do that sh*t. It’s different. I have respect for anyone that enters this sport because it’s not easy.”
Saturday’s Misfits event features the start of the cruiserweight tournament with Oliveira vs. Brueckner, and the Brazilian feels better prepared being coached by Malik Scott, a retired heavyweight who built a pro record of 38-3-1. Scott once challenged Derek Chisora for the WBO heavyweight belt and shared the ring with Deontay Wilder, a man he’s also coached in the past.
“He has a brilliant mind for boxing,” Oliveira said of Scott. “I have several training partners there. I go to the gym every single day, and I learn with every single one of them.”
Oliveira said he’s had matches planned and then cancelled for every month of 2024 since February, so he’s been in camp for a while now. He hasn’t entered the ring since knocking out Gintaras Zukauskas in September 2023, which lifted him back up after a loss to KSI in January of that same year.
“I’m more confident now after my last fight,” Oliveira said. “I expected [Zukauskas] to be better, but he was worse than I imagined. I’m fighting someone that trained better now, has a good coach, so, on paper, this is going to be one my toughest fights.
“I’ll stay calm and smart, applying pressure and waiting for the right moment. Everything will be alright.”
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