Dmitry Bivol -- one of the biggest names in boxing -- is giving Jake Paul his flowers ... telling TMZ Sports the internet star's fighting career is impressing the hell out of him.
"To be honest," Bivol told us just days after Paul scored a violent knockout win over Andre August, "I like that the guy who's not boxer, he really loves the sport."
"We see he's training hard. I respect him for this."
Of course, when Paul first got into the boxing biz, many saw it as a gimmick -- as he was fighting social media personalities and former professional athletes.