Jake Paul Aims for Cruiserweight Return Before End of 2026 Following Joshua Knockout Loss

Jake Paul is aiming to return to cruiserweight boxing before the end of 2026, his business partner at Most Valuable Promotions said. Nakisa Bidarian told BBC Sport that the 29-year-old American, who suffered a sixth-round knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua in December 2025, has set a goal to return before year-end. That loss left Paul with a broken jaw.

He underwent surgery to insert two titanium plates and remove several teeth. The defeat to Joshua marked only the second defeat of Jake Paul's boxing career. It also resulted in Paul being removed from the WBA's cruiserweight rankings.

He now intends to compete again at that weight class. "I think his focus is on cruiserweight, outside of a potential boxing match against Francis Ngannou," Bidarian said.

The comments come as Paul continues recovery from the December bout that sidelined him for months. A potential heavyweight clash with Francis Ngannou has not been ruled out. The 39-year-old Cameroonian former UFC heavyweight champion suffered a defeat to Tyson Fury in 2023 and a defeat to Anthony Joshua in 2024.

Those results have made Ngannou an attractive target for Paul. Ngannou is scheduled to face Philipe Lins on May 16. That bout will form part of the undercard for Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano in an MMA event promoted by Most Valuable Promotions.

Tensions between Jake Paul and Francis Ngannou flared at a Los Angeles press conference in March. Paul taunted Ngannou by claiming he had fled from him like a duck. Beyond boxing, Paul has shown consistent interest in competing in MMA.

He defeated Nate Diaz in a 2023 boxing match and secured a victory over Mike Perry in 2024. Both Diaz and Paul have discussed an MMA rematch. Nakisa Bidarian said the winner of the Nate Diaz versus Mike Perry bout on the Rousey-Carano undercard would present a strong MMA opportunity for Paul.

"I think the winner of that fight is a great MMA match-up for Jake Paul, if he wants to do MMA, which he's always consistently said he does," Bidarian said. GB News reported that while cruiserweight remains Paul's primary focus, the heavyweight option against Ngannou stays under consideration as the 29-year-old ramps up training.