Oleksandr Usyk vs Jake Paul is a genuine possibility, but not in the sport we expected it to be.
Usyk is still celebrating becoming the undisputed heavyweight champion in the space of a year, after wins against Tyson Fury and Daniel Dubois respectively.
Meanwhile, Paul is forging a reputation of his own and is even ranked 14th in the cruiserweight division by the World Boxing Association, which could make him eligible for a world title fight.
The ‘Problem Child’ has other sports he wants to delve into and one of those is where he would like to fight the Ukrainian.
Talks over Oleksandr Usyk vs Jake Paul MMA fight have been held
Daniel Lapin, Usyk’s director has revealed to TalkSPORT that talks over an MMA fight between ‘The Cat’ and Paul have been held.
Boxing may take priority as Usyk was ordered by the WBO to face Joseph Parker.
But, during an interview with Plejmo via TalkSPORT, it sounded like Lapin was confident that the two could meet in the Octagon one day.
Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images
“Almost every fighter has called out Jake Paul. But our story is different. For us, it’s about MMA, something non-standard, and that’s where its power lies,” he said.
“We’re not talking about a boxing match with Oleksandr Usyk. No disrespect to Jake, but in MMA, the chances are more even. Jake has some experience, while Oleksandr would have to adapt quickly.
“This could become a massive show with a huge global audience. Talks are already underway, and if everything lines up, the fight could happen early next year.”
When would Usyk vs Paul be?
Both fighters have recently been in action and therefore need time to rest and recover.
As Usyk’s camp have pointed out, the Ukrainian would need more time to adapt to MMA, given Paul’s previous exposure to the sport.
Any fight date would be in 2026 the earliest, and if the fight against Parker is agreed, then the American may have to wait until mid-2026 or later to face one of boxing’s all-time greats in a new sport.