Jake Paul might not be able to find an opponent for himself right now! But, nobody is questioning his ability to fight—not even former UFC light heavyweight champion Rampage Jackson. ‘The Problem Child’ is coming off a unanimous decision win over the legendary Mike Tyson last year in November. While the fight might have been a bland side dish, the event managed to cause quite a commotion. 

It broke gate revenue and viewership records, positioning the Cleveland native toward a future with even bigger fights on Netflix. Initially, ‘El Gallo’ targeted former undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, but that ended with ‘Cinnamon’ signing a four-fight deal with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, leaving Paul with empty hands. 

Then, there were talks of a fight against Gervonta Davis, but Paul was completely out of luck, as Davis failed to beat Lamont Roach Jr. Now, the Cleveland native has several potential opponents ready to throw down, including Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and former rival Tommy Fury. However, nothing concrete has come out quite yet. 

In the meantime, Morocco’s professional mixed martial artist, Youssef Zalal, appeared on the JAXXON Podcast. While there, co-host Bear Degidio pressed him about the rumors, which suggested he was calling out Jake Paul for a fight. “No!” quickly said Zalal. However, Rampage interjected, noting, “He too light in the a** to fight Jake Paul,” leaving everyone confused.

When asked, “Too light in the a**! What the hell does that mean, bro?” Jackson clarified that he meant Zalal was “Too small” to fight Jake Paul. During Paul’s last fight against Tyson, he was fighting in the heavyweight division. And Zalal mostly fights in the featherweight division, making a fight between them impossible, unless they modify their weights. 

Not to mention, Dana White is unlikely to let one of UFC’s active fighters get in the boxing ring with Jake Paul, who has actively criticized him. While Zalal is not fighting Paul, Nakisa Bidarian has shed more light on what’s next for ‘The Problem Child’.

Nakisa Bidarian reveals next fight date for Jake Paul

Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, has revealed that Jake Paul’s return to the ring is set for this summer. Following the collapse of talks with Canelo Alvarez, Paul shifted focus toward other major names. Bidarian confirmed ongoing discussions with PBC, including a potential clash with Gervonta Davis. 

“The reality is we spent a lot of time with Al Haymon and PBC trying to make the Canelo fight happen,” Bidarian told SunSport. Although the fight with Davis won’t materialize for now, Paul’s team remains focused on his 2025 campaign. “We’re actively working on putting together Jake’s fight for this summer,” Bidarian said. “And then we’re actively working on figuring out Jake’s next fight – call it October to December time frame.”  

Having said that, it appears Jake Paul might not have made himself one of the elites in the sport, but no one is overlooking the potential he brings to the table. Who do you think Jake Paul will end up fighting?