Jake Paul revealed at a press conference that a second jaw surgery will sideline him until at least late 2026, following his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. He expressed interest in potential bouts with Conor McGregor and Francis Ngannou amid ongoing rivalries. Promoters are pitching high-profile matchups in both boxing and MMA.
Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer, disclosed details of his recovery timeline during a press conference for the upcoming Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event on Tuesday, March 11, 2026. He underwent a second surgery in February on his jaw, which was shattered twice in his December 19, 2025, sixth-round knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua. "I got my second surgery recently and the doctor said it will be four, five or six months to even be able to spar to see how the bone is healing," Paul said. "So that puts us maybe late this year or early next year for a fight."
Upon his return, Paul plans to compete at cruiserweight rather than heavyweight. "Definitely will be a cruiserweight," he stated. "Joshua's punches hurt way more than people in my weight class. That's where I'm best at, for sure, and where I want to continue to climb in the rankings and make some statements."
The conference also reignited tensions with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who suffered a second-round knockout to Joshua in March 2024. Paul accused Ngannou of avoiding a prior fight deal, saying, "You were the option before Anthony Joshua, and you ran like a duck. I bet you didn't think I would last longer than you did with Anthony either. You know you get worked in boxing. I would love to see us fight someday." Ngannou responded sharply: "You were just being a small boy, not understanding, being a little disrespectful, and that's why I want to kick your a** now. I really didn't want to fight you, but now I want to beat you - so there's a difference. Let's do it."
Separately, Most Valuable Promotions CEO Nakisa Bidarian proposed a doubleheader between Paul and Conor McGregor, including an MMA fight and a boxing match. "We do the MMA fight with Jake and Conor, and then we do the boxing match with Jake and Conor, perfect co-promotion," Bidarian told TMZ Sports. Paul is open to facing McGregor in the Octagon, though McGregor remains under UFC contract, suggesting a potential co-promotion with UFC president Dana White. McGregor's last MMA bout was in July 2021 against Dustin Poirier, ending in a leg injury, while his most recent boxing match was in 2017 against Floyd Mayweather. Paul has no professional MMA experience but wrestled in high school. Ngannou is scheduled for an MMA return against Philipe Lins on May 16, 2026, on the Rousey-Carano card.
