JAKE PAUL and Mike Perry’s final face-off descended into a brawl but many fans questioned if it was staged.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul returns to the ring in the early hours of Sunday morning against the former UFC welterweight and current BKFC star.
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But the duo almost prematurely traded blows during Friday’s ceremonial weigh-ins for their Tampa tussle.
Perry sparked chaotic scenes by shoving former Disney star Paul in the chest after they went head-to-head.
Paul didn’t take kindly to the MMA star’s antics, shoving him back with considerable force.
A slew of security guards quickly jumped in to prevent the duo from landing any serious blows, although they struggled to hold Perry back.
The incident spread like wildfire on social media, although it didn’t particularly whet fight fans’ appetite for the bout.
One wrote on X: “It’s staged, Mike pushed but pulled back. Jake will win tomorrow, fully staged.”
Another said: “This is so stageed.”
And another said: “You gotta sell them PPVs.”
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One remarked: “WWE couldn’t have pulled this off any better.
“There was a time when folks believed WWE was real just like this.”
Another chimed in: “They are buddies just trying to get the fight amped up.”
Paul, 27, was initially slated to face boxing icon Mike Tyson in a controversial crossover clash at the Cowboys Stadium.
But their Dallas dust-up was pushed back to November after Tyson suffered a medical emergency on a flight from Miami to Los Angeles.
Paul admits he’s taking a huge risk by fighting Perry but is confident he’ll warm up for his clash with Tyson with a devastating finish.
Moments before he was shoved by Perry, Paul said: “One round, one round.
“You will be eating the ring tomorrow night. You are going down face first.”