Jake Paul proved to be another disrupter in boxing when over 60 million households turned on Netflix to see if he would get knocked out by 58-year-old Mike Tyson, returning to the ring for the first time since 2005.
Many ended their Friday disappointed, as Paul left unscathed in a plodding fight that went the distance.
It went as some expected, with Tyson looking stiff and Paul trolling everyone. Both got record paydays, and Netflix got the massive audience it hoped for.
The disappointment from those watching led to various callouts from fighters and several memes of Paul facing old figures past and present. The fallout of the fight brought up a good point: Who will Jake Paul fight next?
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To those who tuned in for the first time, here is the obvious: Jake Paul is not a top-ten pound-for-pound fighter.
He is someone who can promote events and gain interest. Nobody wants to see him fight someone like Mike Tyson again. He is not ready for a championship-level fighter like Canelo Alvarez. At least not yet.
So, how does he top the Tyson fight?
Here’s a breakdown of several options for Paul after the massive event in AT&T Stadium.
KSI
From an entertainment perspective, the biggest fight for Paul is against KSI.
KSI called out Jake and his brother Logan for a fight in 2018. Logan would fight him twice, but Jake was always there to add tension. Jake beat KSI’s brother Deji, and the two continued to call one another out several times. However, a contract has never been signed.
MORE: Is Jake Paul or KSI the best influencer-turned-fighter?
Various rules and weight requests have brought the idea of a fight to a halt. KSI’s relationship with now-business partner Logan may complicate things.
With Jake running Most Valuable Promotions and KSI running Misfits, both promotions co-promoting an event would be massive.
It would not be a pretty fight. However, given the platform the two have, it doesn’t need to be.
Tommy Fury vs. Darren Till winner
When many asked Jake to fight a legitimate boxer, he delivered against Tommy Fury. The half-brother of Tyson Fury and former star of “Love Island” beat Paul in 2023, though Paul did knock him down. Since then, he only fought once, beating KSI that year.
Fury has said he is more a boxer than an influencer, but Paul has competed in more fights than Fury since they clashed. He is also competing on a Misfits card on January 18, 2025, facing former UFC star Darren Till.
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Following an MMA career where he went 18-5-1, Till won a boxing fight in July. If Till beats Fury in an all-British clash, he could call out Paul. If Fury wins, it could set up the ultimate rematch.
Nate Diaz (in MMA)
Paul fought Nate Diaz in a boxing bout in 2023, where the former’s cardio got tested. Though Paul won, the former UFC fighter showcased his durability and elite conditioning. Through fight week, there was plenty of tension between the two, and there continues to be.
Why not compete in a rematch under rules that could favor Diaz?
Paul has challenged Diaz to an MMA fight under the PFL banner. Paul signed a deal with the PFL as a fighter and “Head of Fighter Advocacy.”
However, he still needs to compete in the SmartCage. He plans to compete in 2025, but the one fight that could draw plenty of interest is against Diaz.
MORE: Breaking down the format of the PFL Playoffs
“So, I think I can beat Nate Diaz in my first MMA fight, it would be tough, of course,” Paul said via Sport Bible.
“It’s a 50/50 fight, but I don’t want to go into something where I’m going to be outclassed, like fighting Khabib Nurmagomedov in my first fight.”
Diaz is no longer with the UFC but is in good standing with the organization. He has requested a fight be under his fight organization, Real Fight Inc. Paul is ready to fight in the cage. Will Diaz play ball?
Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is one of the most polarizing figures in combat sports not named Jake Paul. Everyone still wants a piece of the Irish fighter, years after he reached his prime by becoming a two-division champion and boxing Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
Though McGregor has gone through several legal issues and hasn’t competed since 2021, there would still be interest in the fight. Paul called out McGregor after he faced Tyson, attempting to get something going against the “Notorious” one.
“Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170lbs. That’s never happening. But let’s run it in MMA. No weight class. Just like how it used to be done. But you won’t,” Paul wrote on Twitter/X.
McGregor broke his tibia against Dustin Poirier in 2021. He was supposed to fight Michael Chandler following the finale of The Ultimate Fighter 31, but that never came to fruition. UFC CEO Dana White stated McGregor could return to the octagon by early 2025.
With a few fights left on his deal, it is believed White would not let McGregor face Paul. But as we have seen, anything is possible.
Jorge Masvidal
One exciting name for Paul is Jorge Masival, the former BMF Champion. Masvidal retired from the UFC in April 2023 after a career that started in 2003. He has been busy promoting his own bare-knuckle MMA promotion, Gamebred FC. Masvidal did fight Nate Diaz in a boxing bout in July.
He is interested in fighting Paul but may not be able to, given a clause in his contract with the UFC.
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“I’m full-time with the UFC, the UFC granted me permission to box outside the company, but one of the names that I wasn’t allowed to fight was Jake Paul,” Masvidal said via Sportsbook Review.
“The reason is, he’s trashed the UFC brand too much, he’s disrespected Dana and Hunter (Campbell) too much, and he said things he shouldn’t have said, so the UFC said I’m one of their top sellers, why are we going to allow you to go make some money for this f—— dweeb over here. So I’m not allowed to fight Jake until I’m done with my UFC career.”
Masvidal is rumored to return to the cage and compete at a UFC event in Miami in 2025. After that, he could face Paul if negotiations go well.