Jake Paul intends to return to the ring later this year after surgery to repair a broken jaw and is eyeing a rematch with Tommy Fury in the UK.
Paul, who moved up to heavyweight and suffered a stoppage defeat to Anthony Joshua, remains naturally a cruiserweight and could look to avenge his 2023 points loss to Fury, the brother of Tyson Fury. Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions with Paul, said negotiations are beginning and that a UK date is one of the options being discussed.
“He wants to prove to the world that he can beat Tommy Fury,” Bidarian told Sky Sports, adding that a rematch would be a useful measure of Paul’s progress. Bidarian believes Paul has developed more as a fighter over the past three years than Fury, who has not focused as heavily on boxing in the same period.
Paul sustained a broken jaw in the defeat to Joshua but is expected to be back in action between August and November, according to Bidarian. “He’s asking me to start negotiating some fights,” Bidarian said, noting that bringing the fight to the UK would be a priority: “I want him to come to the UK and fight. That’s what I would love to see.”
Bidarian also defended Paul’s performance against Joshua, pointing out the limited preparation time. “I think he did well against Joshua on four weeks’ preparation for someone of that stature,” he said. He suggested the loss could be constructive for Paul’s long-term development, highlighting areas such as cardio that need work: had his stamina held up, Paul might have lasted longer in the bout.
A Fury rematch would likely be a major draw. Bidarian claimed online interest in a Paul vs Fury matchup in the UK outstrips recent interest in Tyson Fury fights and argued that staging the bout in the UK or elsewhere in Europe would be especially attractive to younger, internet-savvy audiences. He acknowledged the challenges of fighting in an opponent’s backyard but said a UK show would make a big statement.
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