- YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul has won 11 of his 12 career boxing fights
- He is expected to turn to MMA at some point after signing a deal with the PFL
Jake Paul has teased a potential blockbuster MMA bout against world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul is set to return to the ring next month when he takes on Julio Cesar Chavez Jnr and the 28-year-old will be keen to keep up his impressive record.
Since his boxing debut in 2020, Paul has won 11 of his 12 fights, with his sole defeat coming against Tommy Fury.
His last bout came in November against Mike Tyson when he secured a victory by unanimous decision and Paul continues to be linked with several big names for future showdowns.
While Paul has focused on boxing so far during his career, he is expected to crossover into MMA in the future given he signed a multi-year deal in 2023 with the Professional Fighter League (PFL).
And, speaking just over a month out from his next assignment, Paul revealed he would be open to fulfilling this commitment and highlighted Usyk as his ideal opponent.
Jake Paul teased an MMA bout against world heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk
Paul has an 11-1 record in boxing, but is expected to turn his hand to MMA in the future
Usyk has similarly been touted to make the move into MMA at some point in the future
‘Yeah, I want to be like Holly (Holm) here and test my skills in the cage,’ The Problem Child said, referencing the American boxer and MMA star.
‘That’s something I’m super, super interested in, and I think it would be a very, very big spectacle. Nate Diaz is still ducking, but we would need to find the right opponent. [Oleksandr] Usyk, maybe.’
Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian then weighed in on the comments and raised expectations that a stunning bout between the global two stars could take place.
‘Usyk has called out Jake multiple times in MMA,’ he added. ‘They’ve been in touch with us behind the scenes saying they want to do that fight in 2026.
‘So it’s something that we definitely want to pursue.’
Usyk is believed to be open to the fight and Paul gave further hints on what a showdown would look like, although he revealed he still had a way to go to prepare for it.
He said: ‘I haven’t started any MMA training, so it would definitely be interesting. We are looking at 2026 for that as a possibility.’
Usyk, who holds a superb 23-0 record in his professional career, is next in action on July 19 when he takes on Daniel Dubois for the undisputed heavyweight championship.
Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian claimed talks were already ongoing over an MMA bout
Usyk has previously hinted at an MMA showdown against The Problem Child on social media
The Ukrainian has been widely tipped to give MMA a go at some point, while he once shared a mock-up poster on his Instagram story of a potential fight with Paul.
Sergey Lapin, a representative of Usyk, has similarly previously claimed ‘it might be great’ for the Ukrainian to fight Paul in MMA.
Meanwhile, Dan Hardy of the PFL has also expressed his enthusiasm for the Ukrainian moving to the octagon.
‘One thing I can say is that I do know that Usyk is absolutely dead serious about fighting in MMA,’ he said back in March.
‘I can tell you that for sure. Which would be incredibly exciting because I think he would be lethal.’
