Anthony Joshua fight can absolutely happen, says Paul’s manager

Jake Paul’s manager Nakisa Bidarian has told Sky Sports he is holding talks about a blockbuster fight with Anthony Joshua.

Joshua, who has not fought since losing to Daniel Dubois in September last year, underwent elbow surgery in May but is targeting a return to the ring later in 2025.

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Since then, YouTuber-turned-professional boxer Paul beat veterans Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at heavyweight and cruiserweight respectively.

After defeating Chavez by unanimous decision last month, Paul audaciously called for a showdown with Joshua and has met with Turki Alalshikh to try and make it happen.

“I think the fight can absolutely happen,” Bidarian told Sky Sports News. “I’m looking at it as Jake versus Joshua, which is quite biblical, and it’s quite impactful in many ways.

“I think size wise, we can get comfortable with it, and I think experience wise, Jake is learning very fast and growing, and Joshua is a little long in the tooth. So it could be a very interesting matchup, and we’re actively discussing it with Matchroom.

“I think we’re looking at it happening at the start of 2026. It’s public that AJ was taking a little time away, I think he had a little surgery. So once he’s ready, and once Jake is ready, we’re going to squarely focus on that.

“It’s a fight that Jake wants to do, and that’s a discussion we’ve had at length, and he feels very confident about where he is in his career and his chances of upsetting Anthony Joshua.”

There are plenty of concerns over whether Paul will be able to make the step up to take on a world-leading heavyweight like Joshua, but Bidarian is adamant his star client would not take the fight if he wasn’t ready.

“Power is obviously the last thing to go,” he added. “So obviously, AJ has a ton of power, and he’s still fairly young. Mike Tyson – much more vicious of a knockout artist than Anthony Joshua – that was a risk Jake was willing to take.

“Francis Ngannou, amazing MMA fighter, very powerful man, but not an experienced boxer, right? He is a lot less experienced than Jake Paul. So if people were comfortable with Francis getting in there with AJ, Jake, who is now 13 fights in, plus one amateur fight, then we are comfortable with this.

“Wembley’s definitely a possibility. Jake said he’d like to do it there. He likes the idea of going in and hearing 90,000 people booing him!”

Tyson Fury is currently retired from boxing but has teased a return to the sport, and promoter Hearn is still keen to make a Joshua-Fury fight.

“AJ has been out [of action] for coming up to a year in September, so we definitely want to fight again,” Hearn said earlier this month.

Hearn: A chance to ‘extinguish’ Jake Paul from world of boxing

Paul propelled himself to fame on YouTube but has now won 12 fights after launching his boxing career in 2020.

The 28-year-old suffered defeat to Tommy Fury in 2023 but has gone on to beat former UFC star Nate Diaz, professional American boxers Andre August and Ryan Bourland, plus former UFC fighter Mike Perry.

A controversially-sanctioned bout against Tyson is Paul’s only heavyweight fight so far, before he stepped down to cruiserweight against Chavez.

“AJ-Paul is never a fight we anticipated, and it’s never a fight we’ve targeted,” Hearn added. “But if you want Jake Paul to be the warm-up fight [for Tyson Fury] – and obviously, financially, it’s a great opportunity for AJ – and you want to provide AJ with the opportunity to extinguish Jake Paul from the world of boxing, then maybe AJ would oblige.

“Jake’s a big, strong cruiserweight. I don’t think he’s particularly competitive, but we know in the world we live in, a lot of people would watch it.

“It may be the biggest fight that can be made, bizarrely, in the sport. I’m not going to sit here and tell you, ‘yeah, it’s a great challenge’.

“I think he gets flattened ASAP, but there’ll be a huge amount of people globally that would want to watch that.

“We’ll see. His Excellency said to us, ‘would you be interested in making the fight?’ I can’t say no, because until we know the proposal, maybe. And if Jake Paul is crazy enough to step in the ring with Anthony Joshua, and he might be, because of the amount of money that will be at stake, who knows? You could see AJ against Jake Paul next.”

Jake Paul faces competition for Anthony Joshua fight as new rival emerges

Tony Yoka is eager to derail Jake Paul’s plans to face Anthony Joshua by challenging the two-time heavyweight champion himself.

Yoka – who claimed Olympic gold in Rio – appeared destined for greatness following his professional debut in 2017, but the previously unbeaten heavyweight endured three consecutive losses to Martin Bakole, Carlos Takam and Ryad Merhy.

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He has since clawed his way back into contention with victories over Amine Boucetta, Lamah Griggs and Arslan Yallyev. Following those three triumphs, the Frenchman secured a lucrative deal with Queensberry Promotions as he seeks to re-establish himself as a heavyweight threat.

After the announcement, speculation regarding a potential clash between Yoka and Joshua began to swirl, reports All Out Fighting. The French heavyweight was quick to respond to those rumours, telling BoxNation: “I mean, I heard some rumours about it. I believe in my team.

“I believe in Queensberry, my manager and my coach to do the best fights for me. I’m not in any talks with him so I don’t know what’s going on. What I know is that I’m getting ready for anybody and after this big win, if they ask or propose me to fight Joshua, of course. That would be a great, great fight for me to take.”

Joshua has remained inactive since his crushing loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024 – but is eyeing a comeback before the end of the year. While Yoka reckons Joshua might have bigger fish to fry, the 33-year-old Frenchman would jump at the chance to square off against ‘AJ’ without hesitation.

“There is a history behind it as two Olympic gold medalists. I think that’s something that makes sense,” he continued. “I saw him fight some guys that I didn’t even know. I think it was just before Otto Wallin he fought a guy, I don’t know the guy [Joshua beat Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius]. I understand that he lost against Dubois last year. They might want to do something like Joshua-Fury or whatever. You want a fight before that, I’m here. You don’t have to look like too far from there.”

A potential clash between Joshua and Yoka could deal a massive setback to Paul. The YouTuber-turned-boxer and the British heavyweight have verbally committed to a bout. During a recent Sky Sports interview, Paul’s promoter and business partner – Nakisa Bidarian – disclosed that he’s in talks with Eddie Hearn and that the encounter could materialise much earlier than expected.

“I think the fight can absolutely happen,” he said. “I’m looking at it as Jake versus Joshua, which is quite biblical, and it’s quite impactful in many ways. I think size wise, we can get comfortable with it, and I think experience wise, Jake is learning very fast and growing, and Joshua is a little long in the tooth. So it could be a very interesting matchup, and we’re actively discussing it with Matchroom.

“I think we’re looking at it happening at the start of 2026. It’s public that AJ was taking a little time away, I think he had a little surgery. So once he’s ready, and once Jake is ready, we’re going to squarely focus on that. It’s a fight that Jake wants to do, and that’s a discussion we’ve had at length, and he feels very confident about where he is in his career and his chances of upsetting Anthony Joshua.”

When is Jake Paul’s next fight?

After making a successful comeback to the ring in June, Paul is keen to keep the momentum going. The American is now able to compete for a world title, having been ranked in the WBC’s cruiserweight listings after his victory over Chavez Jr.

The manager of the 28-year-old fighter revealed that his client is keen to compete for a world title ‘as soon as possible’. However, he concedes it’s unlikely to be his next match, considering the current landscape at 200lbs. “Absolutely [he will fight again this year]. November or December,” Bidarian informed Ariel Helwani when queried about Paul’s forthcoming plans.

“I’m meeting him tonight for dinner, and we’ll discuss [his next opponent]. The only certainty right now is that Jake is eager to compete for a belt at the earliest opportunity. I need to have a chat with him, I reckon it’s a tall order this year [to box for a world title]. Badou Jack is the one he’s most interested in taking on, but he’s obligated to a rematch with the bloke he just defeated [Noel Mikaelian] for the WBC. I’m not sure if a title bout is feasible this year, but we’ll see.”

Jake Paul’s promoter believes a fight with Anthony Joshua could happen early next year.

The YouTuber-turned-pugilist has spent most of the year campaigning for a scrap with the former two-time heavyweight world champion. Following his expression of interest during his podcast earlier this year, Paul engaged in a brief telephone conversation with Joshua, with both men ultimately reaching a verbal agreement for a blockbuster encounter.

Earlier this month, Paul was present ringside for Oleksandr Usyk’s victory over Daniel Dubois and confirmed that a future bout with Joshua will occur next year. He told DAZN: “Yeah 100 per cent it’s going to happen. We’re going to do the unthinkable and create one of the biggest fights in the history of boxing.”

READ: Jake Paul told by WBC exactly how to earn world title shot as imminent fight ruled out

espite speculation surrounding the heavyweight clash taking place towards the end of 2026, Paul’s promoter and business partner – Nakisa Bidarian – has disclosed that he is engaged in talks with Eddie Hearn and that the encounter could materialise much earlier than expected, reports All Out Fighting.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I think the fight can absolutely happen. I’m looking at it as Jake versus Joshua, which is quite biblical, and it’s quite impactful in many ways. I think size wise, we can get comfortable with it, and I think experience wise, Jake is learning very fast and growing, and Joshua is a little long in the tooth. So it could be a very interesting matchup, and we’re actively discussing it with Matchroom.

“I think we’re looking at it happening at the start of 2026. It’s public that AJ was taking a little time away, I think he had a little surgery. So once he’s ready, and once Jake is ready, we’re going to squarely focus on that. It’s a fight that Jake wants to do, and that’s a discussion we’ve had at length, and he feels very confident about where he is in his career and his chances of upsetting Anthony Joshua.”

Meanwhile, a sports finance expert has predicted a potential clash between the duo could generate $40million (£30m). With millions across the globe expected to watch, it’s hardly shocking that both fighters would be handsomely compensated for their efforts.

Nevertheless, it appears money isn’t the primary motivation for Paul. The American is evidently desperate to secure the bout and is even prepared to accept a ONE PER CENT share of the prize money. This comes from Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, who revealed during a recent stint on ‘The Boxing Voice’: “I’m not against what Jake Paul’s doing in boxing, it’s good for boxing to have a young generation.

“I’m against some kinds of fights he does. I’m now thinking him against Joshua. Joshua, if he destroys (Paul), it will be good for me. The headache of Jake Paul goes from my mind. If Jake Paul wins, I will know that Joshua is finished, and Jake Paul deserves his ranking and deserves to have a future in boxing. I don’t want 50-50. In this situation, I want 99-1. Jake Paul has accepted. Now, next week I will talk with Joshua about it.”

Is Jake Paul really going to box Anthony Joshua?

There have been mixed messages this week, but this might not be the unthinkable fight that some think it is.

Paul has recently made known his desire to face the British heavyweight star, and after beating ex-world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in late June, the YouTuber has turned his attention to a potential bout with “AJ”.

It would not be Paul’s first time fighting a former world heavyweight champion, given he boxed a 58-year-old Mike Tyson – and won on points – in November. But Joshua is a different prospect altogether, even coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September.

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Joshua recently underwent surgery due to an elbow injury and, according to his promoter Eddie Hearn, may have further physical issues to address. As such, Joshua’s next move is up in the air.

But Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi adviser behind the Gulf nation’s aggressive entry into boxing in recent years, has now addressed a potential clash between Joshua, 35, and Paul, 28.

“Me and [Jake Paul] are thinking [about] doing him against Anthony Joshua now,” Alalshikh told The Ring, a magazine that he owns. “If Joshua destroys him, it will be good for me; the headache of Jake Paul is finished. If Jake wins, I will know Joshua is finished and Jake deserves a ranking and a future in boxing. Jake accepted it, next week I will talk with Joshua about it.”

Within those words, Alalshikh was referring to the fact that Paul is now a ranked cruiserweight per the WBA.

The Saudi adviser and the American influencer have traded barbs from afar in recent months, with Alalshikh taking issue with Paul’s matchmaking in his own bouts.

Paul was on the verge of signing a fight with modern great Saul “Canelo” Alvarez earlier this year, but Alalshikh was able to thwart that contest and get the Mexican to sign a four-bout deal with Riyadh Season. Canelo has already fought once under that deal, beating William Scull to regain undisputed status at super-middleweight – a status that he will defend against multi-weight champion Terence Crawford in September.

Could that leave Paul to square off with Joshua? Potentially, although Paul seems to resent the idea that Alalshikh would be involved. The YouTuber-turned-boxer appeared to address the situation on Thursday (17 July), when he wrote on X/Twitter: “I will do what I want, with who I want, when I want, in the boxing ring.

“Anyone, anytime, anyplace. You rodents talk so much s*** but when I want to take on the biggest challenges you start having panic attacks and deciding my demise.”

Hearn told Pro Boxing Fans last week: “Yeah, I was with His Excellency [Alalshikh] yesterday, obviously he’d met Jake Paul. I think he would like to do it, you know, but it’s mad enough to happen.

“It’s not something we expected, it’s not something we’re targeting, [but] if it’s offered to us, I would be shocked if AJ didn’t accept it. Why wouldn’t you? The plan for us is to fight Tyson Fury next year, if we can squeeze in Jake Paul along the way and you guys want AJ to end this whole process, he’ll gladly do it.”

On Hearn’s rhetorical question: Why wouldn’t Joshua accept the fight? Paul’s boxing history shows that he can guarantee himself and his opponent an enormous payday, and AJ would naturally back himself to make short work of the American.

Paul is 12-1 as a professional with 7 KO wins, but he lost his most evenly-matched fight, suffering a points defeat by Tommy Fury (half-brother of Tyson Fury) in 2023.

Although Hearn endorses Joshua’s pursuits of a Tyson Fury fight and three-time world-champion status, the Matchroom boss would surely back Joshua to take the Paul bout. Hearn has had his own issues with the YouTuber in recent years, namely a defamation lawsuit against MVP that was settled out of court at the end of March.

And while Paul was unable to secure a fight with Canelo, he came remarkably close and was only undone by Alalshikh’s interference and Saudi money. This time, Alalshikh actively wants to make a Paul fight, if only to see the 28-year-old beaten.

Paul’s dealings with Canelo may actually be evidence that he could lock down a fight with Joshua, too. Paul spent years chasing Canelo, who dismissed the influencer as an unfairly easy opponent, and eventually an agreement was struck.

Paul vs Canelo was an unthinkable fight, until suddenly it wasn’t. The same can be said of Paul vs Joshua. The British public wants and arguably needs Joshua vs Fury, a generational domestic clash, now that the latter has come out of retirement yet again. Yet Paul vs Joshua might just be likelier than Joshua vs Fury. Imagine that.