Jake Paul confirms he is still planning a transition to mixed martial arts (MMA) in the near future.
In January 2023, `The Problem Child` signed a multi-fight deal to compete in MMA under the PFL (Professional Fighters League) banner.
More than two years later, Jake Paul appears fully focused on his 11-1 professional boxing career. He is scheduled to fight former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28. However, the 28-year-old YouTuber turned fighter promises that he will start training soon for his eagerly anticipated MMA debut.
At a press conference on Wednesday ahead of his fight with Chavez Jr., Paul was joined by former UFC champion Holly Holm, who recently signed with Most Valuable Promotions.
Referencing Holm, Paul expressed his desire to compete in the cage, stating, “I want to be like Holly here and test my skills in the cage. That`s something I`m super, super interested in, and I think it would be a very, very big spectacle.”
He then mentioned potential opponents, including Nate Diaz and heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk. “Nate Diaz is still ducking,” Paul claimed, “but we would need to find the right opponent. Usyk, maybe.”
Jake Paul vs Oleksandr Usyk in MMA?
Paul’s business partner, Nakisa Bidarian, expanded on why an MMA fight with boxing`s best heavyweight is a real possibility.
“Usyk has called out Jake multiple times in MMA,” Bidarian stated. “They’ve been in touch with us behind the scenes saying they wanna do that fight in 2026. So it’s something that we definitely want to pursue.”
Paul added that he hasn`t started specific MMA training yet but confirmed, “We are looking at 2026 for that as a possibility.”
Dan Hardy doubts Jake Paul would fight Oleksandr Usyk
In a recent interview, former PFL fighter Dan Hardy shared his perspective on Oleksandr Usyk potentially competing in MMA against Jake Paul.
Hardy confirmed Usyk`s genuine interest in fighting in MMA, noting, “I know for a fact that Usyk is interested, like legitimately interested in fighting in MMA. He’s the kind of person, he’s eccentric enough to have a wrestling skillset… I would imagine he’s the kind of person that just happened to pick up a brown belt along the way between fights. He seems like an interesting person who would take to MMA very well.”
However, Hardy expressed significant doubt about Paul`s readiness for such a matchup. “The downside to Jake Paul though is unless his wrestling is up to par, that’s a horrible fight for him in boxing or mixed martial arts. Usyk’s a smart guy with great footwork, he’s ambidextrous. I think he would be a problem in mixed martial arts.”
Hardy predicted that Paul`s eventual MMA opponent would likely be someone much older. “I think if we see Jake Paul, he’s gonna be fighting someone that’s well into their 40s if it’s an MMA fight.”
