Jake Paul has revealed significant behind-the-scenes discussions regarding a potential fight against boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk, following previous hints about a world title opportunity.
The former YouTuber, now a boxer, was challenged by the heavyweight champion, and their teams are currently in negotiations.
However, Usyk proposed a fight in the MMA cage rather than a boxing match.
Paul is contracted with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and is considering an MMA debut next year, listing Usyk as a possible opponent.
Speaking alongside UFC and boxing legend Holly Holm, Paul stated, “I want to be like Holly here and test my skills in the cage.”
He added, “That`s something I`m extremely interested in, and I believe it would be a massive spectacle.”
Paul also mentioned, “Nate Diaz is still avoiding a fight, but we need to find the right opponent, maybe Usyk.”
Nakisa Bidarian, Paul`s promotional partner, commented, “Usyk has challenged Jake several times for an MMA fight.”
Bidarian continued, “They`ve contacted us privately, expressing interest in a fight in 2026. This is something we definitely want to pursue.”
Bidarian also noted that the PFL is interested in promoting such a crossover bout.
Before that, the 38-year-old Usyk is scheduled to rematch Daniel Dubois (27) on July 19 at Wembley Stadium. Usyk previously defeated Dubois in 2023.
This match will be for the undisputed heavyweight title, which Usyk holds after his victories against Tyson Fury (36).
Usyk has indicated he plans to have only two more fights and has previously mentioned fighting UFC star Alex Pereira (37).
Meanwhile, Paul (28) is set to fight former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr (39) in his next bout on June 28 in California.
This follows Paul`s points victory in November against Mike Tyson, who controversially returned to the ring at age 58.
Paul is returning to the cruiserweight division after fighting at heavyweight and mentioned ongoing discussions about facing WBC champion Badou Jack.
He quoted Paul saying, “I`m really interested. I had Nakisa reach out to his team privately, so those talks are in progress.”
This follows comments from Jack (41), who views a potential fight as a profitable and easy matchup.
Elton Marrow