Jake Paul is officially ready to step back into the squared circle. The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been medically cleared to resume his professional boxing career following a lengthy recovery from a severe jaw injury sustained late last year.
Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) co-founder Nakisa Bidarian announced the medical clearance on Thursday, confirming that Paul is fully healed and eligible to compete once again. The clearance marks the end of a challenging rehabilitation process for Paul, who has been on the sidelines since suffering a brutal knockout loss to heavyweight star Anthony Joshua in December 2025.
That high-profile defeat left Paul with a broken jaw that required an immediate surgical procedure, followed by a subsequent second operation in February to ensure proper healing. Known in the combat sports world as "The Problem Child," Paul has used his time away from active competition to plot his next moves. Shortly after the announcement of his medical clearance, Paul took to social media to share an extensive wishlist of potential opponents spanning both professional boxing and mixed martial arts, setting the stage for what could be another high-stakes chapter in his combat sports career.
Jake Paul Names Conor McGregor, Sean Strickland and Francis Ngannou as Possible Opponents
Paul’s newly released target list is as ambitious as it is diverse, featuring some of the biggest names in combat sports. Among the boxing and MMA elite mentioned by Paul are boxing superstars Canelo Alvarez and Ryan Garcia, as well as heavyweight powerhouse Francis Ngannou.
The inclusion of several current and former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) athletes highlights Paul’s ongoing fascination with crossover bouts and his persistent public feud with the world’s premier MMA promotion. In addition to Ngannou, Paul’s wishlist features high-profile names such as Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Darren Till, Tom Aspinall, Edgar Berlanga, and rival internet personality KSI, among others.
The announcement immediately sparked reactions across the combat sports landscape, drawing attention from fighters frustrated with the current promotional and pay structures in major organizations. One of the most notable responses came from former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who took to social media to express his own frustrations with the promotion and floated the idea of a potential showdown with Paul.
"I gotta be honest, unless things change with the UFC I’m kinda over it," Strickland wrote on X. "McGregor makes 30 million to fight for 30 seconds and they don’t want to pay us a fraction of it. Contemplating just going to 205 [pounds], knocking out my contract and scrapping with [Jake Paul]. That sounds fun."
Strickland’s candid remarks tap into a long-standing narrative surrounding fighter compensation in mixed martial arts—a topic that Paul has championed vocally throughout his own combat sports career. Paul has frequently used his platform to advocate for higher pay, better healthcare, and long-term security for professional fighters, often putting him at odds with UFC leadership.
Responding directly to Strickland’s public musings, Paul signaled immediate interest in pursuing the matchup, provided the logistical hurdles of Strickland’s current promotional agreement can be resolved.
"Sean Strickland, I see your texts but are you out of contract?" Paul wrote on X in response. "Tell your ‘promoter’ to call MVP."
The exchange adds to the growing momentum surrounding Paul’s eventual return. With his medical clearance officially secured and a massive target list circulating across public platforms, the combat sports world now waits to see which promotional path Most Valuable Promotions will pursue for Paul’s comeback fight. Whether he opts for a traditional boxing match against elite pugilists or a lucrative crossover spectacle against a prominent mixed martial artist, "The Problem Child" appears poised to make a loud and disruptive return to active competition.
