Jake Paul vs Ali Eson Gib: Preview & Odds

Following the recent global successes of fights between KSI and Logan Paul, the anticipated grudge match between YouTube stars Jake Paul and Ali Eson Gib is airing to the world on Thursday 30th January at Island Gardens in Miami. Appearing as the co-main event alongside the WBO Middleweight Title bout featuring Demetrius Andrade vs Luke Keeler, this is likely to stamp another chapter in a new generation of influencer driven entertainment where internet stars battle for bragging rights in the ring but more importantly for them, a sizable pay cheque.

Can Jake Paul become 'best influencer boxer'?

At just 23, Jake Paul continues to hold the crown for the most viewed internet star in the United States with more than 36 million followers across social media platforms. After beating Deji on his brother’s undercard vs KSI, Jake now looks to become the ‘best influencer-boxer’ on the planet and is already calling out stars from around the globe, such as the unmanageable NFL star ‘Antonio Brown’, if he can beat Gib.

Jake began posting videos on Vine in 2013, where he amassed 5.3 million followers and 2 billion views on the app, before turning to YouTube to grow his fanbase. This mass following has helped the online celebrity, born in Ohio to release multiple singles, star in Disney’s Bizaardvark for 2 seasons and now take part in his second boxing fight.

Paul is looking to avenge the defeat of his brother Logan, who lost the rematch against former Fifa influencer KSI. The popularity of the two fights, the first in August 2018, has given stars around the world a gateway to squeezing into professional cards and attracting a whole new audience to the boxing world.

• Latest odds for Jake Paul vs Ali Eson Gib

Gib taking being step-up against Jake Paul

In the opposing corner is Ali Eson Gib, commonly known as Gib, who became known through The Sidemen FIFA group in the U.K., which features the aforementioned KSI. Gib, also 23, has fought two amateur bouts in the past and was continually linked with a fight against Jake, with antagonising words constantly exchanged throughout 2019.

Once the fight was announced, the American opened up as the underdog but the market has flip-flopped and Jake Paul has since become the favourite.

The UAE native appeared on the first KSI v Logan Paul undercard, beating Jay Swingler with an aggressive style that included a knockdown, however Jake is likely to be a sizeable step up and Gib would need to be more cautious with his defense. Although Paul has the power advantage, Gib looks to have speed in his armoury and the contrasting styles should result in a closely fought match up, evident by the Cloudbet odds.

Once the fight was announced, the American opened up as the underdog but the market has flip-flopped and Jake Paul has since become the favourite after continual support (1.66). With the fight lasting six rounds, stamina will be a decisive factor and the smarter influencer is likely to come out victorious, moving on to bigger and higher profile fights in the future.

Also featured on the packed evening of boxing is Tevin Farmer (30-4-1, 6 KOs) defending his IBF World Super Featherweight title against JoJo Diaz (30-1, 15 KOs) and unified World Super Bantamweight champion Daniel Roman (27-2-1, 10 KOs) defending his titles against Murodjon Akhmadaliev (7-0, 6 KOs).