Pauls won the British title in July 2024 when he stopped Nathan Heaney in a rematch, four months after the pair had drawn their first title fight.
He went on to lose a European title fight against Denzel Bentley in December 2024 and only fought once last year on a low-key card in Torquay, before returning to the big stage against Thompson.
Pauls hopes he has another big fight lined up next year, making a bout this side of Christmas key to his preparations.
“It’s massively important I fight again before the end of the year,” he added.
“I’ve got a bigger fight lined up for February time, back on the big stage, and I want to give myself every advantage for these big fights, so I need to be active and to get out before the end of the year.”