Discussions are reportedly taking place between the teams of boxing star Oleksandr Usyk and social media figure Jake Paul regarding a potential clash in mixed martial arts.
Oleksandr Usyk is widely considered a top boxer of his generation. He is an Olympic gold medalist, remains undefeated as a professional, and has unified titles in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, operating at what many see as his peak.
Jake Paul, initially a social media influencer, has forged a popular boxing career. Despite a loss to Tommy Fury, he has defeated former UFC fighters and participated in a high-profile exhibition bout against the 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Nonetheless, a crossover fight in MMA between these two appears to be a subject of discussion.
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Paul`s MVP promotional company, confirmed that “a couple of conversations” have occurred, describing them as “very positive.” He added that the opportunity depends on scheduling alignment but believes it is present.
Bidarian stated that Jake is “crazy enough” to pursue the fight and that Usyk`s representatives “seem very interested.” He feels that coordinating the timing is the main factor and anticipates the fight happening eventually.
Explaining the origins of this unlikely pairing, Bidarian mentioned that the relationship began when Daniel Dubois, promoted by MVP, had his U.S. debut on one of Paul`s early pay-per-view cards in 2021. They later attended Usyk`s fight against Dubois in Poland, building a connection. Bidarian noted that roughly three or four months prior, Usyk expressed a desire for “one more fight” and specifically mentioned wanting to face Jake Paul in MMA.
Bidarian recounted a humorous exchange with Paul: “Jake is crazy enough to do it. It`s funny, he told me the other night: `Oh, that`s an easy fight.` I said he`s got a wrestling background. He`s like: `Oh [no], I didn`t know that!`”
Despite this, Bidarian still sees a potential MMA bout with Usyk as a logical move for Paul and MVP.
“Jake has two priorities,” Bidarian explained, which are shared by MVP: “to put on great boxing events and he wants to become world champion.” However, another key goal is to create “mainstream cross-cultural moments in combat sports,” citing the Paul vs. Tyson event as an example.
He concluded, “The same thing for Paul vs Usyk in MMA. That`s going to be a cross-cultural moment that the world will pay attention to. So we`re always interested in those opportunities.”
Murray Blackwood