Jake Paul reveals ahead of big weekend bout that he has brain damage but will carry on with fight

• YouTuber Jake Paul said at a pre-fight event that he had done "brain scans" that found signs of brain trauma.
• The brain damage Paul says he has is grounds to bench him, but he will carry on with the match.
• Paul's brother Logan revealed in 2019 that he too had done 3D scans that revealed brain damage.

YouTuber Jake Paul said he has brain damage a day out from a highly-publicized boxing match but will carry on fighting despite this setback.

Paul said in a press conference in the run-up to Saturday's fight night that he had done a brain scan, which revealed early signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

"It's a dangerous sport. That's why, when people question my dedication to it, it's like, I'm showing up every single day," Paul said.

"I'm putting my mental health on the line. My brain is on the line. Like you said, I've gone and gotten brain scans and have early signs of CTE."

CTE, which is also known as "boxer's brain," can cause a range of symptoms, including impaired judgment, impulse control, and mental illness. There is currently no known cure. According to sports website MMA Mania, admissions of brain damage are enough to bench fighters, which makes the timing of Paul's admission one day before the fight a little odd.

But Paul says he will carry on with the match regardless.

"I love this sport and wouldn't trade it for anything else. And I'm a fighter, and people will see that. Whether it's after Saturday night or whether it's a year from now, they will see that I'm a fighter," he said.

The 24-year-old YouTuber is set to face off against former MMA world champion Ben Askren in a showbiz boxing bout on April 17 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. This will be Paul's third match and his first against an experienced fighter.

Interestingly, Jake Paul is not the only Paul brother who has revealed that he has brain damage. His older brother Logan got his brain scanned in 2019, which revealed signs of trauma from his own time in boxing rings. Logan Paul documented the process of his brain scan in a YouTube video titled "I have holes in my brain."

At the time, Logan Paul said that he wanted to "figure out why (he's) so f---ed up," and did the scan to find out the reason behind his poor impulse control and "emotional unavailability." He then underwent a 3D imaging process, during which a doctor pointed out that there were "holes" and "significant damage" to his prefrontal cortex.

Both brothers have since gone on to continue fighting in boxing matches.

The pay-per-view match on April 17 between Jake Paul and Askren will take place amid allegations of sexual assault that Paul is facing from TikTok star Justine Paradise - accusations which he has since denied.

Jake Paul, who calls himself "The Problem Child," lost his cool when staring down and trash-talking Askren at a pre-fight event in March, and observers say he may break in the ring.

The fight is being screened on Triller Fight Club for $49.99.