Jake Paul could face Tommy Fury in long-awaited MMA debut with two other opponents discussed

07/04/2024 06:52 AM

Jake Paul’s manager Nakisa Bidarian claims ‘The Problem Child’ could make his long-awaited MMA debut in 2025.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer signed with the PFL in January 2023 and was expected to compete last year.

However, Paul has still yet to make his maiden MMA appearance.

All of his attention at present is focused on his flourishing professional boxing career with fights against former UFC star Mike Perry and boxing legend Mike Tyson scheduled for July 20 and November 15 respectively.

Several members of the MMA fraternity are skeptical about the chances of ever seeing Paul in the Octagon.

And, although Bidarian admits he has been of the same thinking at times, he insists that they have been actively looking to find the right opponent with former foe Tommy Fury among the names they have spoken to.

“Look his goal is to fight in MMA but everything needs to align for that to be the case,” Bidarian told the MMA Hour on Wednesday night.

“I think 2025 makes a lot of sense for that it’s just about finding the right opponent.

“We’ve talked to Nate Diaz multiple times as you know there are hurdles to that.

“We have talked to Tommy Fury about doing a boxing rematch and if the winner was to win then we would do a trilogy in the PFL.

“And we will definitely talk to Mike Perry depending on how this fight does.”

MMA fights against Perry and Nate Diaz seems a little ambitious as both competitors are former UFC fighters with extensive careers in the sport.

But a showdown with Fury makes a lot of sense considering he is also a complete novice in the fighting discipline.

Fury handed Paul the first and only defeat of his 10-fight (9-1) stint in pro boxing in February 2023 and the YouTuber is keen to exact his revenge in a second fight.

He had the chance to run it back with Tyson Fury‘s brother immediately after their inaugural encounter as there was a rematch clause written into their contracts.

However, Paul chose not to activate it as he wanted to fight Diaz.

After beating Diaz last August, Paul is now pursuing that fight again.

“He does want to fight Tommy Fury again to make that right,” Bidarian added.

“That [fight] really is about legacy, because that was the first young boxer he faced…

“I believe to this day he shouldn’t have fought that fight because he was very sick.

“He found two weeks before that fight that he was allergic to dust and his entire camp was in Dubai so we’re never making that mistake again.

“He still put on a valiant effort that night, he definitely was drained weight-wise, hence why he didn’t have the same energy and hence why cruiserweight is the right weight for him.”