Jake Paul won't fight until at least late 2026 due to jaw

Field Level Media|published: Wed 11th March, 23:42 2026

Mar 10, 2026; Inglewood, California, United States; Jake Paul at a MMA press conference at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

A second jaw operation following his knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua in December will significantly delay Jake Paul's next bout.

"I got my second surgery recently and the doctor said it will be four, five or six months to even be able to spar to see how the bone is healing," Paul told the media on Tuesday at the Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano news conference. "So that puts us maybe late this year or early next year for a fight."

In the Dec. 19 loss to Joshua that was halted in the sixth round, Paul (12-2) had his jaw shattered twice and underwent an operation the following day. He then had another procedure in February.

When Paul does step inside the ring again, the former YouTube star is changing weight classes after his heavyweight loss to Joshua.

"Definitely will be a cruiserweight," Paul said. "Joshua's punches hurt way more than people in my weight class. That's where I'm best at, for sure, and where I want to continue to climb in the rankings and make some statements."

--Field Level Media

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