Anthony Joshua‘s punches broke Jake Paul‘s jaw, not his spirit. If anyone thought the loss to a bona fide heavyweight fighter would finally put an end to Paul’s antics, then he has been gravely mistaken, as the YouTuber-turned-fighter has announced the date and venue for his comeback fight.

“Jake Paul will make his highly anticipated return on CHRISTMAS EVE, Thursdays, December 24th…IN DUBAI 📍🍿,” the Instagram message from Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) read.

Speaking about his motivation for the comeback, Jake Paul dropped a separate post on X.

“All I want for Christmas Eve is boxing in Dubai,” he wrote. “I’ve spent years proving people wrong, taking risks, and pushing myself against opponents nobody thought I’d face.

“Nothing that’s happened has changed my belief in myself or what I’m working toward. I’m hungrier than ever, and on Thursday, December 24, I’m returning to the ring in Dubai to start the next chapter of my journey. Dubai is a city that thinks big, breaks boundaries, and doesn’t believe in limits.”

While the date and venue of Paul’s comeback fight is revealed, suspense still lingers over who his opponent will be.

Early this month, Paul mentioned a few names on social media, including Canelo Alvarez, Francis Ngannou, and Conor McGregor—for both boxing and MMA, and Ryan Garcia, KSI, and Chris Eubank Jr.—among a few others, and told his associate and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian to “make it happen.”

A subsequent tweet saw him call out Sean Strickland. The UFC middleweight champion is in the middle of a payout-related dispute with the promotion and has expressed an interest in exploring a boxing opportunity with Paul.

“Sean Strickland, I see your texts,” Paul wrote. “But are you out of contract? Tell your “promoter” to call MVP.”

Former UFC title challenger Darren Till, now the Misfits Boxing’s bridgerweight champion, appears to be the frontrunner to face Jake Paul.

Jake Paul vs. Darren Till: A fight taking shape?

“Darren Till is definitely one of the names that Jake put out there on his list,” Bidarian told Sun Sport in a recent interview. “He’s definitely one of the names that we’ve been speaking to. The date, time, and location depend on how quickly I can get the opponent done, and the distribution of the fight is appropriately figured out based on that opponent.

“So, if it takes us another three, four, five weeks to figure this out, there’s no fighting this year. It’s probably early next year. If we figure it out in the next 24 hours, we’ll hopefully get a fight in this year. But I can’t tell you today if it’s one or the other. But we’re trying our best to get it done.”

Till’s name has been mentioned before as an opponent for Paul.

Back in February, ahead of the all-women card in April under the new Sky Sport deal, Bidarian spoke about Till during a media catch-up.

“I think Vidal Riley is an interesting fight,” he said, before adding, “I think Darren Till is an interesting fight.”

The comments received a fiery response from Till. “Please, @nakisa_bidarian. I am not an interesting fight,” he wrote. “I will punch holes in @jakepaul. Do not mention my name unless you want this fight. It’s a matter of respect. You do not want this fight. But if you do. Reach out. +44 – @Leeeaton88.”

In the latest development, after Bidarian shared an update that the MVP team is talking with “4 potential opponents” for a fight either in late 2026 or early 2027, Till once again responded.

“Stop f**king about & grow a set of ba**s & send the contract & I’ll smash your boy’s head in,” he wrote.

Paul and his team may have turned their attention to Till after failing to secure a rematch with Tommy Fury.

Meanwhile, taking Paul’s recent history into consideration, it appears to be the first time when a date and venue for a fight emerged before an opponent was finalized.

According to reports, Paul and Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) may have secured a hosting fee through their arrangement with Dubai, allowing them to announce the December 24 before finalizing a broadcast deal or confirming an opponent. If those reports are accurate, the arrangement would give MVP the flexibility to lock in the event date and location first, with the remaining details to follow.

More significantly, the uncertainty that followed Paul’s knockout loss to Anthony Joshua is now over.

Following the setback, at one point in time Paul himself felt uncertain about his boxing future. Subsequent months saw him make bizarre claims—from an NFL appearance to calling out Nate Diaz for a fight after MVP merged with the Professional Fighters League (PFL).

What remains to be seen is whether Paul picks a strong opponent, as he previously suggested, someone against whom he can genuinely test himself, or reverts to his old pattern of choosing opponents with limited boxing experience or those well past their prime.