Reports indicate discussions have taken place between the camps of undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk and social media personality Jake Paul regarding a potential major MMA fight.
This unusual pairing was hinted at by Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP Promotions, who stated that conversations between the two sides have been constructive.
However, the proposed clash wouldn`t be in a boxing ring, but rather the MMA octagon – a setting where Paul (11-1, 7 KOs) would likely be a significant underdog, but one apparently being considered seriously.
Before any such crossover bout, Usyk (23-0, 14 KOs) is scheduled to defend his titles against IBF mandatory challenger Daniel Dubois, a fight widely seen as a much more legitimate challenge for the Ukrainian champion.
The rematch is scheduled for July 19th at Wembley Stadium in London, England, where Usyk will defend his undisputed title.
In their initial bout nearly two years ago, `The Cat` (Usyk`s nickname) hurt Dubois multiple times before securing a decisive ninth-round stoppage.
The first fight featured a controversial moment in the fifth round when Usyk was felled by a shot that the referee ruled a low blow.
Dubois has since maintained that the shot was a legitimate body blow, a point of contention that adds significant intrigue to the upcoming rematch.
Meanwhile, Jake Paul is preparing for his own bout against former world middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The fight is scheduled for June 28th at the Honda Center in California.
Even during his prime, Chavez Jr.`s career had its struggles, and he notably suffered a loss to MMA legend Anderson Silva more recently.
Despite this, Paul`s potential crossover fight with Usyk, however improbable, has still managed to generate considerable attention.
Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of MVP Promotions, was quoted as saying about the potential Usyk fight, “We’ve had a couple of conversations, all very positive, and it just depends on how the timing lines up. I think the opportunity is there. Jake is crazy enough to do it for sure; Usyk’s side seems very interested in it. So it’s just about lining up the timing and I think eventually it’s something that will happen.”
