Jake Paul is done sitting on the sidelines. Roughly eight months after a fractured jaw threatened to end his boxing career, Paul was spotted back in the ring at bp pulse LIVE arena in Birmingham following Neeraj Goyat’s dominant decision win over Yessin Koulali. Now, his camp is actively mapping out an actual return timeline.
While his own doctors advised him never to fight again, Paul is completely ignoring those warnings as he eyes a lucrative winter rematch with Tommy Fury.
Nakisa Bidarian Confirms Jake Paul Cleared to Spar in September
Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told talkSPORT that Paul passed his latest medical check. Bidarian said Paul can start contact sparring in mid-September.
The company wants him to fight again by the end of the year. However, Bidarian noted that business details, scheduling, and venue availability might push the date to January. Regardless of the exact date, Bidarian made it clear that Paul is fully determined and incredibly eager to step back inside the squared circle.
Bidarian then named Tommy Fury as the primary target for Paul’s return, calling him the opponent who makes the most sense.
He added, “His representatives just have to help us make a sensible deal. Tommy’s had a number of fights since Jake, and he’s never made anything close to what they’re asking for. So it’s either you wanna fight Jake, and you understand we’re trying to pay you a lot of money. But it has to make business sense, or you don’t. I believe Tommy wants to fight Jake, and I believe the fight will happen, but we obviously have other fighters we’re talking to as well.”
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Just to recap, Fury is Paul’s 2023 rival. Their two-year online feud led to a big match in Saudi Arabia in February 2023. Tommy Fury won that eight-round fight by a split decision. The loss was the first of the influencer-turned-boxer’s career. Paul scored a knockdown in the final round. However, Fury’s higher punch volume and cleaner shots secured the win on two judges’ scorecards.
Tommy Fury Deal Hinges on Money, Not Jake Paul’s Health
The financial equation for this fight is pretty simple for MVP. Fury is a known commodity with solid rivalry value, and Bidarian made clear Paul remains the bigger commercial draw regardless of who’s across the ring.
“And for Jake, if it’s not Tommy, it’s fine,” he added. “Jake is the biggest draw globally by any metric, so we’re okay.”
However, that business confidence contrasts with a harsh medical reality. Paul’s jaw was shattered in two places during his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua back in December 2025. Complications from the initial repair eventually forced a second emergency surgery in February 2026 when the titanium plates and screws started to loosen.
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Surgeons had to remove the loose hardware to prevent a serious infection, leaving the bone to heal on its own. Because of this, Paul’s upcoming return to contact sparring in mid-September is a massive gamble. If his jaw has fully healed and Fury’s camp fails to sign a deal, MVP is already speaking with other British fighters to ensure Paul steps back into the ring by early 2027.
