Jake Paul names only boxer he will refuse to fight

Jake Paul has fought Mike Tyson on Netflix under the Texas lights, simply defeated veteran UFC names who swore they’d humble him and dared to name out Conor McGregor, Canelo Alvarez and Anthony Joshua without any concern. But the YouTuber-turned-fighter drew the line when it comes to one among boxing’s most feared names.

Paul is getting ready for his November 14 blockbuster at Miami’s Kaseya Center against WBA light-weight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis in a fight with a obvious weight discrepancy in favor of Paul. But he confessed that he would never step into the ring with David Benavidez.

“The only no is you,” Paul said straight to Benavidez’s face on his personal podcast. “I will not fight this —-ing guy. He is a monster, bro. I would —-ing die.

“I do know my boundaries, and that’s the factor,” he continued. “I need to fight Anthony Joshua, because I do know that I will f***ing beat Anthony Joshua’s ass. I will beat Canelo. I will beat a number of people. I will not beat David Benavidez. I might get tore up, bro. This man is different.”

Paul’s admitted straight up that Benavidez, nicknamed “The Mexican Monster,” presents a task too tall for assurance, even for a fighter who has leaned on creating bold spectacles to break through into boxing’s mainstream. At 30-0, Benavidez has built a resume that justifies Paul’s fear.

Fresh off a unanimous decision victory over David Morrell in February to unify the WBC interim and WBA (Regular) light heavyweight titles, his record reads like a highlight reel of consistent violence. Wins over Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Demetrius Andrade, Caleb Plant, and Anthony Dirrell also stand out in his resume.

Benavidez has not lost a fight since turning professional as a teenager and has stopped 24 of his 30 opponents. His next challenge is already scheduled against Anthony Yarde in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on November 22 for the WBC light heavyweight crown.

Paul’s record stands at 12-1, with his most recent win in June 2025 against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in Anaheim, where he dominated over 10 rounds for a unanimous decision. This came after the Tyson spectacle at AT&T Stadium in Texas last November.

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Before that, Paul stopped bare-knuckle veteran and ex-UFC contender Mike Perry in Tampa and dismantled Ryan Bourland and Andre August in back-to-back first-round finishes. His most important crossover second before Tyson got here in 2023, the place he outpointed UFC star Nate Diaz over 10 rounds.

The podcast episode with Benavidez revealed hypothesis about Canelo Alvarez ducking each males and the place boxing’s fractured panorama might take them next. But Paul’s refusal to play promoter’s games with Benavidez was the second that caught.

Outside the ring, Paul’s confidence has led him to name out MMA fighters Jorge Masvidal, Kamaru Usman, Nick Diaz, and Dillon Danis. Regarding the top boxers, Paul has expressed curiosity in matchups against Artur Beterbiev, Daniel Dubois, Ryan Garcia, and more.