The YouTuber-turned-boxer was brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua back in December, but is already planning on a return to action following a cryptic post on social media
Jake Paul has teased a potential return to boxing(Image: Getty Images)
Jake Paul looks set to make an announcement on his boxing future this week – just three months after his defeat to Anthony Joshua.
The ‘Problem Child’ took on the former two-time heavyweight world champion back in December, and would go on to suffer a brutal sixth-round knockout loss. Just moments after driving himself to the hospital following the controversial dust-up, it had emerged that the YouTuber-turned-boxer broke his jaw in two places and was forced to eat Christmas dinner through a straw.
Paul has since undergone two surgeries, and recently revealed it could be at least ‘six months’ before he is able to resume sparring. However, it would appear the 29-year-old is still eager to make a return to action in 2026 after teasing fans online. On Monday, the American posted a video of himself hitting the pads with one of his coaches.
In the corner of the clip was a bold textbox which read: “Announcement March 18”. He captioned the post: “You won’t expect this one hahahaha. Announcement coming in 2 days, March 18th.”
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The post comes just days after the boxing sensation revealed his four-man hitlist to US President Donald Trump – which included a clash with Oleksandr Usyk and a rematch with bitter rival Tommy Fury. “So, who do you fight next?” Trump asked Paul, after admitting he watched the YouTuber-turned-boxers fight with in December while on board Air Force One. “Would you ever fight [Joshua] again?” The young American did not hesitate when feeding back his answer: “No, I don’t think so.
“I need to go and stay at my weight class. Maybe do some MMA—we’re promoting fights now on Netflix; we got Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano.” Despite his eagerness to move back down to cruiserweight, the ‘Problem Child’ is open to fighting both Usyk and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. “Maybe [Oleksandr] Usyk in MMA, Francis Ngannou, Ryan Garcia, maybe Tommy Fury —there’s a lot.” Paul then asked Trump who he’d like to see him face next. “Probably Khabib [Nurmagomedov],” Trump responded.
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Two-time undisputed heavyweight champion Usyk has teased a move to MMA and a fight with Paul in the cage in the past, but a clash between the pair seems dead in the water, as the Ukrainian is solely focused on his boxing career. Usyk is expected to make his return to the ring in Egypt in May against kickboxing legend Rico Verhoeven.
That said, the 39-year-old is still open to crossing over into the world of MMA, but not for a bout against Paul. Team Usyk’s Sergey Lapin claimed that they are turning their attentions to Jones to determine the ‘baddest man on the planet.’ “A fight with Jake Paul in MMA at this stage is not being considered. But we are always open to creative and interesting collaborations in the future. If we are talking about crossover fights, a very interesting matchup could be against Jon Jones in the United States,” Lapin told Casinostugan. “The best heavyweight in MMA against one of the best boxers of his generation could become a very big event if organised properly. Who is the baddest man on the planet?”