Jake Paul cleared after Anthony Joshua knockout, eyes UFC stars

Jake Paul has been cleared to return to the boxing ring following his sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in December 2025, which left him with a broken jaw requiring two surgical procedures. Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian announced the clearance on Thursday.

Paul has since publicized a list of potential opponents spanning boxing and mixed martial arts, including UFC middleweight Sean Strickland, lightweight Nate Diaz, former champion Conor McGregor, heavyweight Tom Aspinall, and heavyweight Francis Ngannou. The list also includes boxers Canelo Alvarez, Ryan Garcia, Deontay Wilder, and KSI.

Strickland responded to Paul's overture on social media, expressing frustration with UFC fighter pay and suggesting he might move up to light heavyweight and exit his contract to fight Paul instead. "McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 seconds and they don't want to pay us a fraction of it," Strickland wrote. Paul, a long-time critic of UFC compensation, replied by asking whether Strickland was out of contract and inviting his management to contact MVP. The exchange highlights ongoing tension over fighter compensation across combat sports.