The ‘Problem Child’ stormed the ring and faced off with Usyk immediately after the Ukrainian’s destructive win over Daniel Dubois at Wembley
Jake Paul has faced a lot of backlash after he faced with Oleksandr Usyk immediately after the Ukrainian’s destructive win over Daniel Dubois.
Usyk and Dubois went head-to-head for a second time on Saturday night in front of over 90,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. After winning the initial encounter two years ago, the Ukrainian settled the score once and for all after securing a vicious fifth round knockout.
With the pair clashing for the undisputed heavyweight title at a huge venue, it was inevitable that many big names were going to be ringside. Paul was sitting front row for the event and was constantly booed by fans every time he appeared on the big screen. The ‘Problem Child’ quickly grabbed the headlines after he once again called for a fight with Anthony Joshua.
He told DAZN: “Yeah 100 per cent it’s going to happen. We’re going to do the unthinkable and create one of the biggest fights in the history of boxing. It’s not even about it being realistic or not, it’s gonna happen so fasten your seatbelts. And when I knock him out I’ll go down in the history books forever.” His trip to the UK would not be complete without facing off with Usyk – who he has called out multiple times over the last few months.
The pair faced off in the ring immediately after the Ukrainian’s win over Dubois. Neither man blinked in what was a tense and chilling stare down. Eventually, the pair shook hands and went their separate ways. In a post uploaded to X – formerly known as Twitter – Paul posted the video, captioning it: “Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time @usykaa on a huge win. I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world @MostVpromotions.”
As expected, the footage quickly went viral online – with Usyk himself was quick to comment on the face off with the YouTuber-turned-boxer. “Jake Paul came to the ring for a face-off. I’m ready to fight with Jake Paul in MMA rules. I’m ready but I need to rest,” he said.
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While it was maybe all fun and games, boxing fans were quick to flood the comments section, expressing their anger towards Paul. “Letting him in the same ring as Usyk is an insult,” one fan wrote. A second commented: “It should never be sanctioned, Usyk will murder the YouTuber!” A third replied: “Please don’t disrespect us and Usyk like this,” while another posted: “This is absolutely ridiculous. Get Jake Paul out of there.” A fifth replied: “Embarrassing shouldn’t even be allowed in the same ring as Usyk.”
Paul – who signed with the PFL two years ago – is yet to make his MMA debut. Back in May, the American stunned the boxing world after he called out Usyk for a fight in the octagon. “Yeah, I want to be like Holly (Holm) here and test my skills in the cage,” The Problem Child said, referencing the American boxer and MMA star. “That’s something I’m super, super interested in, and I think it would be a very, very big spectacle. Nate Diaz is still ducking, but we would need to find the right opponent. [Oleksandr] Usyk, maybe.”
Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian then weighed in on the comments and raised expectations that a stunning bout between the two stars could take place. “Usyk has called out Jake multiple times in MMA,” he added. “They’ve been in touch with us behind the scenes saying they want to do that fight in 2026. So it’s something that we definitely want to pursue.”
When is Jake Paul’s next fight?
After defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr last month, Paul is set to fight once more before the year is out. The American can now fight for a world title after he was placed in the WBC’s cruiserweight rankings following his win over the Mexican. The 28-year-old’s manager revealed his business partner is keen on fighting for a world title ‘as soon as possible’.
However, he admits it is likely it won’t happen next, given the current standings at 200lbs. “Absolutely [he will fight again this year]. November or December,” Bidarian told Ariel Helwani when asked about Paul’s next steps. “I’m seeing him tonight for dinner, and we will have a conversation [about his next opponent]. The only possibility right now is that Jake wants to fight for a belt as soon as possible.
“I have to talk to him, I think it’s tough this year [to box for a world title]. Badou Jack is who he wants to fight more than anyone, and he has a mandatory rematch with the guy he just beat [Noel Mikaelian] for the WBC. I don’t know if this year is possible [for the title fight], but we’ll see.”