Ever a frontrunner to stoke controversy, Jake Paul has ruffled many a feather with his comments on Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime performance. Perhaps he should have stuck to what he does: fighting and fight promotion. In the latter category, he’s already ahead of most promoters, with Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) preparing to stage an all-women card under a new Sky Sports deal in April. On the boxing front, things appear to be improving as well.

After the brutal loss to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, in which he suffered a broken jaw, many questioned Jake Paul‘s future. But easing those doubts, his team confirmed a potential comeback by the latter half of the year. That naturally raised the next question: who would he fight? On that score, some clarity emerged through the comments of close associate and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, who anticipates a rematch with Tommy Fury despite a potential $20 million hurdle.

Tommy Fury rematch emerges as Jake Paul’s comeback plan

While speaking with iFL TV‘s Kugan Cassius at the MVP-Sky Sports card press conference, Bidarian explained Jake would likely kick things off with a campaign against old rival Tommy Fury. Given that Fury handed Paul his first loss, the matchup would offer a chance to show how much he has progressed technically.

“I think there’d be a lot of interest in that fight; you’d see the levels of Jake Paul and how he’s developed as a boxer,” Bidarian said. His response came when the conversation turned to Paul’s future, as Cassius asked how the YouTuber-turned-fighter planned his return to the ring. The question centered on the caliber of opponent Jake might target next.

Against Joshua, he had broken from his earlier pattern of facing retired or out-of-prime fighters, former champions, and MMA names. Speaking about potential matchups Jake has discussed, Bidarian clarified that Canelo remains a long-term target.

That said, Bidarian also acknowledged that he has yet to speak directly with Paul about concrete plans. The two were scheduled to meet Sunday in Milan, where Paul’s fiancée, Jutta Leerdam, is competing in the Winter Olympics.

His answer only fueled further curiosity. Cassius asked, “Do you think the Tommy Fury rematch happens this year?”

Cash concerns hover over Paul-Fury II

Bidarian replied, “That’s my goal.” Still, the response came with hesitation. That appeared tied to concerns over the purse Fury and his camp might seek. Even if both sides want the fight, he sounded wary of the financial expectations Team Fury could bring to the table.

Floating the possibility that negotiations could stall over money, Bidarian said, “I can go ahead and ask for 10, 15, or 20 million dollars all the time, but that to me says you really don’t want the fight because we don’t have that kind of opportunity.”

His view traces back to claims made by Paul last year, when he alleged that Fury rejected a $15 million rematch offer. The comment drew a swift response from Fury, who posted, “Offering me the fight in America… a place you know I can’t get to right now. Convenient 😂😂😂😂. Offer me the same $15M anywhere else in the world, and I’ll be there in 8 weeks to shut you the fuck up and repeat what I did the first time. …”

As a result, despite optimism from both camps, Jake Paul-Tommy Fury 2 could once again run into financial resistance, potentially setting off another round of public back-and-forth.