Jake Paul will return to the ring Dec. 24 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, headlining an MVP event almost exactly a year after Anthony Joshua broke his jaw and he underwent multiple surgeries. The opponent and broadcast details have not been announced. MVP co-founder and CEO Nakisa Bidarian said the promotion is finalizing an opponent worthy of Paul's return and will share more in the coming weeks. Paul, who holds a 12-2 professional record, said he's hungrier than ever and promised that somebody is getting knocked out.
Jake Paul will return to the boxing ring on Dec. 24 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, headlining an MVP event, as first reported by MMA Fighting. The date falls almost exactly a year after Anthony Joshua broke Paul's jaw, an injury that required multiple surgeries.
The opponent has not been named, and broadcast details have not been announced. MVP co-founder and CEO Nakisa Bidarian said the promotion is finalizing an opponent worthy of Paul's return and expects to share more in the coming weeks.
Paul holds a 12-2 professional record, and the Joshua fight accounts for one of those two losses. The 28-year-old's comeback marks his first appearance since that bout. He said he is hungrier than ever and promised that somebody is getting knocked out.
Joshua's role in the story
Joshua, the former heavyweight world champion from the United Kingdom, is the man who ended Paul's last night in the ring. The 37-year-old trains out of Boxing Works and fights from an orthodox stance. He stands six-foot-six (198 cm) with an 82-inch (208 cm) reach, a frame that gave him significant size advantages over most opponents he faces.
Joshua is not part of the Dec. 24 card as far as the report indicates. His connection is the injury that forced Paul's long layoff.
Why it matters
- Paul has been sidelined for roughly a year, so the Dubai card tests how well he has recovered from the jaw fracture and surgeries.
- The unnamed opponent leaves the level of the comeback fight open. Bidarian's wording about an opponent "worthy" of the return suggests MVP wants a recognizable name.
- Dubai adds another Middle Eastern date to the boxing calendar, and a Christmas Eve slot is an unusual one for a major card.
The timeline is also tight. If an opponent is finalized within the coming weeks, as Bidarian indicated, the fighters would have limited time to prepare for a Dec. 24 date. Broadcast arrangements, which have not been announced, will determine how widely the event can be seen.
For Paul, the return carries a clear personal edge. He has framed the comeback around motivation and a knockout, and the manner of his last defeat means any physical concerns will draw attention in the build-up. Until MVP names his opponent, the card remains a headliner without a matchup.
