No, Jake Paul is not retiring. Yes, the knockout from Anthony Joshua was so devastating that he is still recovering from the serious jaw injuries he suffered more than a month later. And it appeared that it might be enough to convince the YouTuber-turned-fighter, who turned 29 three weeks ago, to step away from boxing for good. Yet the self-proclaimed disruptor’s tank hasn’t run dry.

The “Problem Child” will return. Though it remains under wraps who he will face next, initial information shared by his close associate and Most Valuable Promotions’ co-founder Nakisa Bidarian suggests Jake Paul could step back into the ring in the latter half of the year, likely in the United Kingdom.

Jake Paul’s next chapter: When could he step back into the ring?

Bidarian made the revelation during the kickoff presser for MVP’s all-women’s card scheduled in April. Set at London’s iconic Olympia, the landmark card marks the inaugural event under the new Sky Sports partnership. A reporter from Fight Hub TV asked about a tentative timeline for Jake’s comeback fight.

Bidarian revealed he will meet Jake in Milan this Sunday to discuss the comeback, while his fiancée, Jutta Leerdam, competes at the Winter Olympics. “I haven’t shared that with him yet. So, he’ll see this before we meet,” he said. On a personal level, Bidarian expressed that he would love for Jake Paul’s next fight to be in the UK.

The reporter also asked how Jake was doing after the brutal knockout by Anthony Joshua. Bidarian replied that Jake Paul is doing well. He then outlined the potential timeline for his return: “He’s focused on coming back in August. I think the realistic window is anywhere from August to November.”

Given Jake’s goal of a world championship at cruiserweight, the timeline seems reasonable. However, considering the severity of his injury, which often makes fighters cautious, he needs full recovery, both mentally and physically, before resuming training and stepping back into fights.

With a tentative return timeline in place, attention now turns to Jake Paul’s next opponent.

Who’s next? Potential opponents for Jake Paul and the challenges ahead

Nakisa Bidarian shed some light, telling Sky Sports that Jake may pursue the highly anticipated rematch with the man who gave him his first loss  – Tommy Fury. “Jake—before Joshua—had one loss on his record, and that was Tommy Fury. I would love for that fight to happen because I think it’s a great barometer of how far Jake has come,” Bidarian said. “I don’t think he (Fury) has developed as much as Jake has over the last three years. Because he hasn’t been as focused on boxing. I would love for that fight to happen.”

Following that, Bidarian said Jake is open to other options. Potential names the team could consider include cruiserweight Vidal Reilly and rising crossover star Darren Till.

Beyond Bidarian’s insights, Jake himself shared his mindset after the AJ bout. During the post-fight interview, he told Ariel Helwani, “I love this sh*t, and I’m going to come back and get a world championship belt at some point.”

But how can Jake return to cruiserweight title contention if he faces crossover fighters like Fury, Reilly, or Till? To secure a legitimate title shot, he needs to go up against established contenders. The bigger concern: most potential opponents now know his weakness—a broken jaw—and are likely to target it. How this scenario affects Jake’s preparations remains to be seen.

While many questions remain, answers will only come when Jake Paul makes his full comeback.