Key Takeaways
- Jake Paul received medical clearance to box again after two surgeries repaired the double jaw fracture Anthony Joshua caused in their December 2025 fight.
- Paul, targeting an early 2027 return, challenged UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland to have his promoter call MVP after Strickland floated leaving the UFC to fight him.
- The 12-2 boxer also named Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, Deontay Wilder, Francis Ngannou, Conor McGregor, and Nate Diaz among 15 potential opponents.
Jake Paul is officially back in fighting shape after Anthony Joshua broke his jaw last December, and he's already trading words with UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland. The 29-year-old boxer has received medical clearance to return to the ring following two surgeries, setting the stage for a comeback that could pit him against one of MMA's most outspoken fighters.
"Jake Paul has been cleared to return to the boxing ring," Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) co-founder Nakisa Bidarian announced on X Thursday, Oct. 8, per ESPN.
The news comes nearly 10 months after Joshua knocked Paul out in the sixth round of their December 2025 showdown, leaving him with a double jaw fracture. Paul underwent surgery in December and again in February, and as recently as April, he told ESPN he had resumed light training but wasn't cleared to spar.
He's now targeting an early 2027 return, with a 12-2 professional record and seven knockouts.
And Paul isn't exactly easing himself back into the conversation. He's unveiled a 15-fighter wish list featuring Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, Deontay Wilder, Francis Ngannou, Conor McGregor, and Nate Diaz.
"I gotta be honest, unless things change with the UFC I'm kinda over it," Strickland wrote on X. "McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 seconds and they don't want to pay us a fraction of it. Contemplating just going to 205 [pounds], knocking out my contract and scrapping with [Jake Paul]. That sounds fun."
Paul didn't let the invitation sit unanswered. "Sean Strickland I see your texts but are you out of contract?" he fired back. "Tell your 'promoter' to call MVP."
Meanwhile, Paul has been making his own case for what he's accomplished outside the ring. "I brought boxing and combat sports to Netflix and had the most-viewed sporting event streamed ever," he recently told Front Office Sports, referring to his November 2024 fight against Mike Tyson.
Netflix estimated the event averaged 108 million viewers globally, though a traditional ratings service didn't independently audit those figures.
That expansion has also brought legal scrutiny. Former world champion Heather Hardy recently sued MVP for more than $10 million, alleging negligence and violations of the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act over her 2023 fight against Amanda Serrano.
Hardy, who previously disclosed a traumatic brain injury in an April 2025 ESPN interview, claims the promotion ignored warning signs before the bout.
MVP denies wrongdoing, maintaining that Hardy was medically cleared and all applicable safety protocols were followed.
