2026-05-28 08:46:22
Jake Paul is “keen” to fight Francis Ngannou if he returns from a broken jaw.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer recently revealed that his return to the ring was in doubt after he suffered the injury in his defeat to Anthony Joshua last year but his business partner Nakisa Bidarian says he would like to pit his wits against the former UFC star.
Bidarian told Sky Sports: “I think Jake views Ngannou as being very powerful, but very slow and flat-footed and not having good movement.
“Jake’s keen for that fight. Jake’s keen for the Tommy Fury rematch. Jake’s keen to try to become a cruiserweight champion.
“Jake is keen to also think about other names that we’ve discussed that I won’t mention. Obviously, Canelo’s there, but other names as well. I don’t know. I don’t think that rules out Francis at all.
“It’s a fight that I want to do, but again, I’m in the business of supporting the fighters. If that’s what Jake truly wants to do and that’s what Francis wants to do, we’ll do our best to make it happen.
“Once he’s back into sparring, once he gets hit flush, then we’ll see.
“The plan is for him to be back at the end of the year, late November to mid-December timeframe. That’s our focus. That’s what our team is building around.”
Bidarian also indicated that the social media star is open to a rematch against old rival Tommy Fury – who makes his return to boxing next month with a crossover bout against former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall.
He said: “Tommy Fury’s fighting in a spectacle exhibition in a couple of weeks. I think it’s six two-minute rounds. It’s interesting, big man versus a medium-sized man, and we’ll see what happens.
“If they’re realistic about what the opportunity is, then 100 per cent, that’s the easiest fight to make, and it’s the logical fight to make for both guys.”
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