Jake Paul officially confirms MMA debut as five opponents proposed
Jake Paul has officially confirmed a plan to make his mixed martial arts debut, but who could he face in his first fight?
Back in January 2023, Youtube star turned boxer Paul signed a multi-year deal with the Professional Fighters League, agreeing to compete in MMA for the first time.
Three years later, Paul's contract with the PFL officially ended, with Paul failing to make his MMA debut.
But, just months after Paul's personal contract with the PFL expired, the 29-year-old played a key role in a colossal deal that has seen Most Valuable Promotions, his combat sports promotion company, merge with the PFL.
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The deal has led to nearly 400 athletes coming under the MVP MMA banner, including several world champions and some of the biggest names in the sport.
As part of the deal, Paul has once again assured that he will be making his MMA debut sometime in the near future, this time under the new MVP banner.
"MVP was always bigger than me and bigger than any one fighter. MVP is an inevitable movement that needs to happen for the athletes, and now we have all the resources we need to build something that changes this sport forever," Paul said in a statement confirming the merger.
"I look forward to putting my entire promotional muscle into our new company, returning to the boxing ring and making my MVP MMA debut."
But who could Paul face when he does finally enter the octagon? Here are five options that could all make perfect MMA opponents for Paul.
Nate Diaz
Without a doubt the most obvious choice for Paul would be to finally face Diaz in the octagon.
Back when Paul signed his initial deal with the PFL three years ago, it was well-known that a two-fight deal with Diaz which would see the pair box one another then square off in an MMA contest was in the works.
Eventually, the two men faced off in the boxing ring in August 2023, with Paul winning by unanimous decision having dropped Diaz in the fifth round.
Since then, rumours of a boxing rematch or an MMA bout have circulated on several occasions, with both men saying they were up to do either, but another meeting is yet to actually materialise.
However, given the fact that Diaz is already signed with MVP, having fought in their debut MMA event headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano in May, an MMA fight with Paul may finally now be possible.
Mike Perry
Another name that has often been linked with an MMA fight with Paul is Perry, another UFC veteran who lost a boxing fight with the Youtuber-turned-fighter.
Paul won via 6th-round TKO when the pair faced each other in the ring back in July 2024.
Following the fight, Paul took to social media to respond to Perry's calls to rematch in the octagon, writing: "“I’ll MMA this motherf***er, I already beat that a** in boxing.”
Given the fact that Perry got the better of Diaz during the MVP MMA event in May, he could be a more sensible pick for Paul's first MMA opponent.
Darren Till
Ever since he left the UFC in March 2023 after asking for his own release from his contract, Till has made a massive name for himself in the influencer-boxing scene.
After some time away from the spotlight, the Liverpudlian signed to fight with Misfits Boxing, making his debut against Anthony Taylor in December 2024.
Till won the bout via TKO in the sixth round and went on to beat Darren Stewart in May 2025, securing a unanimous decision after knocking Stewart down twice and former UFC champion Luke Rockhold via knockout in the third round of their August fight.
Since then Till has taken a surprise step away from the influencer scene to sign for the bare knuckle fighting championship, winning his first fight against Aaron Chalmers via knockout.
The 33-year-old has signed a multi-fight deal with BKFC, and is set to fight fellow UFC veteran Yoel Romero later this year, but confirmed that he held talks with MVP ahead of signing for the bare knuckle organisation.
It therefore seems completely plausible that he could secure an MMA fight with Paul once he sees out the remainder of his BKFC deal.
Oleksandr Usyk
Probably not a name that you would expect to see on this list, but Usyk is both one of the most likely and absolutely the most exciting potential opponent for Paul's MMA debut.
The former undisputed crusierweight and heavyweight boxing champion has long said that he is approaching the final fight of his career in the ring, with an opponent yet to be announced.
But, instead of hanging up the gloves following his last boxing fight, it appears that Usyk wants to swap them out for smaller ones and take up MMA.
Replying to a call out from Paul, Usyk wrote on X: "Soon, I'll close the book on boxing, and after that, I'll be waiting for you in the cage. Let's see if you've got the balls or just a hunger for hype."
Following the post, Nakisa Bidarian, who co-founded MVP with Paul, told Sky Sports that conversations over an MMA bout with Usyk had taken place.
"We've had a couple of conversations, all very positive, and it just depends on how the timing lines up. I think the opportunity is there," he said.
"Jake is crazy enough to do it for sure, Usyk's side seem very interested in it. So it's just about lining up the timing and I think eventually it's something that will happen.
"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."
Conor McGregor
With just one fight left on his UFC contract, McGregor will soon be a free agent and therefore be available to fight for any promotion.
Ever since Paul first ventured into combat sports he has been calling for a huge bout with McGregor, either in the boxing ring or the octagon.
Of course, following the brutal injury suffered during his loss to Max Holloway at UFC 329, it will be over a year until McGregor is able to fight again in the UFC and then start considering what comes next.
But given the bitter feuds between McGregor and Paul online, it's clear that a fight would definitely interest both men, and it would certainly generate huge numbers.
Ben McCrum