RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — YouTube star Jake Paul took the first defeat of his professional boxing career Sunday night, losing a split decision to Tommy Fury.
Paul (6-1) knocked down Fury with a short left hand early in the final round of their cruiserweight bout, but the younger half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury controlled long stretches of the eight-round meeting at Diriyah Arena.
Two judges scored the bout 76-73 for Fury (9-0, 4 KOs), while the third favored Paul, 75-74.
Fury is the first actual professional boxer fought by Paul, who built his lucrative second career by taking on mixed martial artists and a fellow YouTuber in boxing bouts that generated huge social media attention despite featuring more enthusiasm than skill.
Fury also is much better known as a celebrity sibling — and much more accomplished as a reality television star — than as a boxer, leading to a relatively even matchup with Paul. Fury’s unbeaten record entering this bout was built against a series of wildly overmatched opponents with a combined record of 24-176-5.