Nov 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, UNITED STATES; Mike Tyson (black gloves) fights Jake Paul (silver gloves) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Apparently we’ve reached the point in Jake Paul’s combat carnival where even Khabib Nurmagomedov’s former manager feels obligated to throw a retired heavyweight into the hat. Because in the latest twist in the ongoing guessing game of Jake Paul’s next fight, Ali Abdelaziz casually suggested Junior dos Santos as a possible opponent.
Jake Paul vs. Junior dos Santos
Yes, Junior dos Santos, and no, this isn’t satire. If anything proves how absurd this matchmaking universe has become, it’s that even respected figures from the MMA world are now tossing washed legends into Jake Paul’s orbit like lottery balls.
The Jake Paul machine has dragged everyone into the noise vortex, even the people who used to roll with Khabib. Let’s be blunt: this isn’t matchmaking. It’s influencer roulette.
Nov 15, 2024; Arlington, Texas, UNITED STATES; Mike Tyson (black gloves) fights Jake Paul (silver gloves) at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Junior dos Santos? A beloved fighter. UFC champion. Good human. Also: a washed legend.
Junior dos Santos had dangerous hands in MMA — but “good boxing for MMA” turns into pillow-fisted tourism the moment you step into an actual boxing ring. The difference hits harder than Francis Ngannou hits heavy bags.
Which, ironically, makes him a perfect candidate for Paul’s next fight, because his entire boxing career has been built on timing, not talent scouting, waiting until names fade, then monetizing their nostalgia.
JDS: Exhibit #47 in Paul’s “Retired Names Only” Tour
Junior dos Santos hasn’t been a competitive threat at the elite level in years. Great boxing for MMA? Absolutely. Hands you respected. Heart that no one questions. But anyone pretending a JDS boxing match in 2025 is meaningful competition is either delusional or selling a pay-per-view.
Which, let’s be honest, is the operating system behind Jake Paul’s next fight anyway:
Avoid active boxers your size
Select legends after their prime
Profit from name value, not sporting merit
Ali tossing out JDS wasn’t a formal pitch; it was a shrug suggestion. A “what about this guy?” moment. Yet it fits perfectly because Paul’s next fight rarely involves actual contenders, just familiar faces past their mileage limit.
Diaz, Ngannou, Dos Santos: One Real Opponent, Two Posters
Let’s review the list of possible opponents now:
Name
Reality
Why it Fits Paul’s Playbook
Nate Diaz
Too small; already beat him
Safe sequel, guaranteed attention
Francis Ngannou
Would destroy him unless scripted
Clout garnish, zero intent
Junior dos Santos
Retired legend
Nostalgia clout, low risk
This isn’t matchmaking — this is auditioning nostalgia properties, and Ali suggesting JDS shows the truth everyone already knows about Jake Paul’s next fight:
He’ll do anything except face a young, active, naturally-sized professional boxer.
He is allergic to fair competition the same way Diaz is allergic to media day enthusiasm.
In a Fair World? It’s Ngannou
If we lived in a real meritocracy and Jake Paul’s next fight was about proving legitimacy, it would be Francis Ngannou in a real, unscripted bout.
Not “exhibition rules, not “mutual entertainment understanding,” a fight. Ngannou isn’t playing influencer spar-sessions — he’d fold Jake up like a rental scooter. That matchup ends faster than a KSI feud burns out online.
Nobody expects Jake Paul to win. That’s the point. At least it would be honest.
Instead? We get Diaz again or legends collecting checks on the nostalgia tour.
Bottom Line
Ali Abdelaziz casually mentioning Junior dos Santos doesn’t make it real — it just proves the circus is so loud that even corners of MMA that once symbolized respect and discipline can’t fully ignore Jake Paul anymore. In the bizarre search for Jake Paul’s next fight, a washed legend suggestion somehow fits perfectly.
The Paul business model is simple: Annoy the world. Avoid real threats. Get richer anyway. Even when the suggestion is ridiculous?
We look. We argue. We doom-scroll.
Because the real nightmare isn’t Jake Paul’s next fight. It’s that we’re all still watching.