MMA Showdown: Jake Paul vs Oleksandr Usyk MMA Fight in Talks, Says MVP Co-Founder
Jake Paul could be heading into the cage for a wild MMA showdown with none other than Oleksandr Usyk.
According to Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP Promotions, Paul’s team has already held positive talks with Usyk’s camp about the potential clash.
The Ukrainian heavyweight world champion, fresh off defending his title against Tyson Fury, might be interested in testing his skills in MMA. Surprisingly, it’s Jake Paul who’s driving the hype, as always. “Jake is crazy enough to do it for sure,” Bidarian told Sky Sports. “Usyk’s side seem very interested in it. So it’s just about lining up the timing and I think eventually it’s something that will happen.”
The connection between the two fighters may sound odd, but it goes back to 2021. Dubois, who later fought Usyk, made his U.S. debut on Paul’s undercard. Then Paul and his team flew to Poland to support Usyk in his title defense against Dubois in 2023. That led to mutual respect, and now, potentially, a wild crossover event.
“Jake Paul told me the other night, ‘Oh, that’s an easy fight,’” Bidarian said. “I reminded him Oleksandr Usyk has a wrestling background. He goes, ‘Oh no, I didn’t know that!’ That’s Jake for you, bold, fearless, sometimes a little too confident.”
Still, there’s method to the madness. Paul’s brand has always thrived at the intersection of spectacle and sport. The upcoming bout against Mike Tyson already turned heads (and raised eyebrows), but fighting Usyk in MMA would take things to a whole new level.
“Jake wants to be world champion, that’s the long-term goal,” Bidarian said. “But we also want those mainstream, cross-cultural moments in combat sports. Paul vs Tyson did that. Paul vs Usyk in MMA would do it again. That’s what we’re about.”
Whether or not the fight happens depends on scheduling and logistics, but the interest is clearly mutual. And it wouldn’t just be a fight, it would be a spectacle. Usyk, known for his slick footwork and unbreakable mentality, stepping into a different combat sport with one of its loudest personalities? That’s something the world would tune in for.
Jake Paul has already beaten MMA legends like Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva in the boxing ring. But facing a unified heavyweight boxing champ in MMA is a whole different game. Still, if there’s one thing we know about Paul, it’s that he’ll chase the biggest stage, and Usyk just might be his next spotlight.
For now, fans will wait to see if this bizarre but exciting matchup becomes reality. One thing’s for sure: if it happens, Jake Paul vs Oleksandr Usyk in MMA will be one of the most talked-about fights in recent memory.
