“I think anywhere from August to November,” Jake Paul’s manager revealed last month while discussing the timeline for Paul’s return. At that time, the team expected Paul to step back into the ring during the second half of the year. However, ‘The Problem Child’ recently underwent a second surgery, which has now pushed back his boxing return once again.

Right now, Paul is going through one of the toughest stretches of his career after suffering a double jaw fracture in his sixth-round knockout loss to former champion Anthony Joshua. As a result, the defeat severely damaged Jake Paul’s jaw and forced him to undergo surgery. Doctors inserted titanium plates and screws to stabilize the injury.

Naturally, after the loss, many experts and fans started speculating that the YouTuber-turned-boxer might retire. However, Paul has shown no signs of stepping away from the sport and is already planning the next stage of his career.

Jake Paul’s return timeline gets revised after his second surgery

“I got my second surgery recently,” Jake Paul told MMA Junkie, “and the doctor said it will be four, five or six months to even be able to spar to see how the bone is healing. So that puts us maybe late this year or early next year for a fight.”

After sharing that update, the American star also confirmed that he will no longer compete in the heavyweight division. Instead, the YouTuber-turned-boxer now plans to return to the cruiserweight division, where he believes he performs at his best.

“Definitely will be a cruiserweight. Joshua’s punches hurt way more than people in my weight class. That’s where I’m best at, for sure, and where I want to continue to climb in the rankings and make some statements.”

For now, taking time to recover could be the smartest decision for Paul. Over the past few weeks, he has remained active outside the ring by supporting his girlfriend during the Milan Winter Olympics and filming content with Arman Tsarukyan. However, those activities reportedly caused complications with the nuts and bolts fitted in his jaw, which eventually forced him to undergo a second surgery.

Even so, Jake Paul has already hinted at a return to the heavyweight division in the future. In fact, he recently reignited tension with former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who has now signed with Paul’s promotion, Most Valuable Promotions, to face Philipe Lins on May 16. Interestingly, the tension between Ngannou and Paul started last year. At that time, before Anthony Joshua accepted the fight against Paul, the Cameroonian’s name appeared as one of the top options.

However, Ngannou declined the opportunity, saying the fight would not be good for his legacy and resume. Now, following his exit from the PFL, ‘The Predator’ has shown interest in fighting Paul. As a result, the rivalry intensified this week during a press conference, where ‘The Problem Child’ accused Ngannou of running away from him like a “duck.” In response, the ex-UFC champ quickly fired back at Paul’s comment.

Francis Ngannou fires back at “small boy” Jake

At 40, Francis Ngannou has entered the later stage of his professional career and now aims to maximize his name value and drawing power while he still can. Since leaving the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2023, Ngannou has competed in MMA only once. Instead, he shifted his focus to boxing and actively pursued high-profile matchups against stars like Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.

Although Ngannou lost both fights, the bouts reportedly earned him close to $30 million combined. Interestingly, he also had an opportunity last year to face Jake Paul. However, Ngannou declined the matchup. As a result, Joshua stepped in to fight Paul and reportedly walked away with more than $40 million from the bout.

Now, the situation appears to be changing. Even though ‘The Predator’ has signed with ‘The Problem Child’s promotion, Most Valuable Promotions, he shows little interest in maintaining a friendly relationship with him. Instead, he now targets a fight with Paul and hopes to defeat him.

“You were just being a small boy, not understanding, being a little disrespectful, and that’s why I want to kick your a– now,” said Ngannou. “I really didn’t want to fight you, but now I want to beat you – so there’s a difference. Let’s do it. That’s why I stand by the statement that I want to beat you up.”

So, what do you think about Jake Paul’s future? Should he face Francis Ngannou next? However, former UFC champion Michael Bisping already opposes the idea, especially considering the damage Paul has recently suffered to his health. Share your opinion below.