Jake Paul eyes MMA debut against Nate Diaz once jaw injury clears

Jake Paul has set his sights on an MMA debut against Nate Diaz, with the crossover boxer saying the long-discussed matchup remains “on the table” as he nears the end of his recovery from a broken jaw sustained in his loss to Anthony Joshua in December 2024.

Speaking on The Pat McAfee Show, Paul confirmed he expects to be medically cleared for full-contact sparring within the next few weeks. Beyond a return to boxing, he said Most Valuable Promotions — the company he co-founded — is pushing further into MMA, and that a cage debut is part of his plans.

“Maybe I’ll do some MMA. We’ve got a lot of stuff with MVP coming soon, big promotions getting more into the whole MMA world,” Paul said. “The feud between MVP MMA and UFC continues… We’ve been trying to make the Nate Diaz MMA fight happen for a long time and I think it’s still on the table, so we’ll see what happens.”

Diaz is a familiar face in the MVP ecosystem, having already competed under the promotion’s banner — losing to Mike Perry at MVP’s inaugural MMA event — making him a natural fit as Paul’s first opponent in the cage.

Paul was candid about the preparation required before he can step into MMA competition, admitting he has never formally trained in the sport. “I’ve never practiced MMA, but I’ve wrestled and boxed so I just need to learn the kicks and jiu-jitsu,” he said, adding a self-deprecating joke about his prospects on the ground.

No date or official announcement has been made for the fight, and Paul’s immediate priority remains completing his recovery and returning to boxing. Whether the Diaz matchup materialises will depend on both his physical clearance and the continued growth of MVP’s MMA ambitions.