Jake Paul targets Nate Diaz MMA debut and Mayweather rematch as broken jaw heals

Jake Paul is weeks away from receiving medical clearance to return to sparring after the broken jaw he sustained in his sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, and he is already in talks with multiple potential opponents across both boxing and MMA.

“I’m going to get cleared officially to spar in the next couple of weeks,” Paul told Pat McAfee on Wednesday. “I’m getting back to it, keep on fighting. Maybe do some MMA.”

Paul was originally scheduled to face Gervonta “Tank” Davis before the Joshua bout was arranged, and the defeat has done little to dampen his appetite for competition. He did, however, draw one clear lesson from the experience. “I just probably won’t fight Olympic gold medal heavyweights anymore,” he said.

On the boxing side, Floyd Mayweather has emerged as a name in early discussions. The retired multi-division champion has continued to compete in exhibition bouts and has recently attracted attention for a series of financial and legal difficulties, including criminal charges related to a bad check, a civil lawsuit, and a tax lien from the IRS. Paul was blunt about his read on the situation. “He needs the money,” Paul said, before adding that talks are ongoing with a range of fighters across both sports.

In MMA, Paul has been circling a professional debut for several years. He previously signed with PFL without ever competing for the promotion, and more recently has been involved with MVP MMA, a fledgling promotion that held a debut card in May featuring Ronda Rousey against Gina Carano. Paul indicated that MVP has bigger plans in the works, though a second event has yet to be announced.

Nate Diaz remains the primary target for his MMA debut. “We’ve been trying to make the Nate Diaz MMA fight happen for a long time,” Paul said. “I think it’s still on the table. So we’ll see what happens in the next year or two.”

Despite the injury setback, Paul was unequivocal that his fighting career is continuing. “Definitely still fighting,” he said. “We’re in talks right now with multiple opponents and just figuring out when we’re going to come back.”