When will Jake Paul's next fight take place and who will his boxing opponent be?
26-year-old social media star Jake Paul, who hails from Cleveland, Ohio, has made waves over the years in the boxing ring by starting a career fighting fellow YouTubers before he went on to tackle seasoned MMA fighters and boxers.
Paul, whose brother Logan also has some experience in the boxing ring, currently holds an 8-1 record following his first loss to Love Island star Tommy Fury (a 10-0 boxer and brother of heavyweight legend Tyson Fury).
When Will Jake Paul Next Fight?
Following his shocking Round 1 knockout against 10-2-1 boxer Andre August in December, Jake Paul will make his return to the boxing ring in just a few short months as he continues his comeback from losing to Tommy Fury last February.
The social media star-turned-boxer will officially fight next on Saturday, March 2 in an event that will begin at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, taking place at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.
According to DAZN, the main event ring walks are expected to take place around 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, although that may vary depending on the length of the various undercard fights
Paul will appear in a cruiserweight contest as part of the co-main event alongside Amanda Serrano vs. Nina Meinke, with the former defending her women's featherweight world titles against the IBF mandatory challenger.
Other fighters on the card include the featherweight boxing debut of 17-year-old actor Javon Walton, along with fights featuring light flyweight Jonathan Gonzalez (27-3-1) and women's super flyweight Krystal Rosado-Ortiz (2-0).
Who Will Jake Paul Fight Next?
Paul's appearance as the Serrano vs. Meinke co-main event will mark the 11th bout (10th professional) in his boxing career in just under six years.
The former Disney Channel star currently holds an 8-1 professional record, as seen below in the full list of his fight results, with the 2023 Tommy Fury bout giving him his only loss:
- Deji (2018) - Paul, Round 5 TKO (Amateur)
- AnEsonGib (2020) - Paul, Round 1 TKO
- Nate Robinson (2020) - Paul, Round 2 KO
- Ben Askren (2021) - Paul, Round 1 TKO
- Tyron Woodley 1 (2021) - Paul, Split Decision
- Tyron Woodley 2 (2021) - Paul, Round 6 KO
- Anderson Silva (2022) - Paul, Unanimous Decision
- Tommy Fury (2023) - Fury, Split Decision
- Nate Diaz (2023) - Paul, Unanimous Decision
- Andre August (2023) - Paul, Round 1 KO
While the opponent has yet to be confirmed, a report may have revealed Paul's next contender. This comes after the fighter stated on X (formerly Twitter) on January 2 that his team had "sent out two contracts" and was waiting to see which of the two potential opponents "accepts first:"
"My team sent out two contracts today. Let’s see which of the two potential opponents accepts first."
Paul did not name either of the two possible opponents, but he did seem to dispel speculation and rumors of a Tommy Fury rematch being up next. He confirmed on X his team made an offer to Fury in December but received no response, saying, "He got an offer 3 weeks ago. Been mum since."
Days later on January 4, Colm McGuigan (a boxing reporter for IFLTV) reported on X how Paul is in "advanced talks" for a bout against 17-2 professional boxer Ryan Bourland likely to take place in March:
"Jake Paul is in ADVANCED talks with Ryan Bourland (17-2) as his next opponent. With the fight likely to take place in MARCH"
As such, Bourland was likely one of the two boxers to receive offers from Paul's team, but whether the fight will come to fruition remains to be seen at this time.
So who actually is Jake Paul's rumored next opponent Ryan Bourland?
Bourland has a 17-2 record, with 6 of the wins and 1 of the losses coming from knockout. Initially, Bourland retired in October 2018 at age 30 after his victory against Jose Hernandez (19-6-2) before making a comeback in September 2022 to beat Santario Martin (4-7) by TKO, he has not fought since.
Nicknamed "Rhino," Bourland is 35 years old and stands at 6'0" tall against Paul's age 26 and 6'1" height. The potential contender's last match against Martin was fought at 175 lbs while Paul usually fights closer to the 185 lb weight mark.
The fight would undoubtedly mark another controversial one for Paul, who has often received backlash for taking on older or out-of-practice boxers.
When Paul took on Andre August in December, many were quick to point out the age gap between the YouTuber and his 35-year-old opponent, while also noting how August, much like Bourland, had only fought once in recent years.
How To Watch Jake Paul's Next Fight
Serrano vs. Meinke, which will include Jake Paul's next fight as the co-main event, will stream live on DAZN on Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.
The DAZN app can be downloaded on most major phones, tablets, gaming consoles, and streaming devices, along with web browsers. A subscription can be purchased for $19.99 per month or $224.99 annually.
Those looking to attend the event live in Puerto Rico can purchase tickets from Ticketera, with a wide range of varyingly priced seats available.
Will Jake Paul Ever Fight KSI?
Those following Jake Paul's controversial boxing career have been vocal about several fights they are eager to see from the social media star, most notably a rematch against Tommy Fury and taking on longtime rival KSI.
Jake Paul vs. KSI has long been a fight many see as a perfect match-up, with the two being the biggest names in influencer boxing. This comes after KSI defeated the other Paul brother Logan in 2019 and, much like Jake, lost to Fury in 2023.
The two have been trying to make a match for several years now, with a spout of contract back-and-forth taking place in early 2023. But, according to interviewer Fred Back on X, that culminated in Paul declining the offer:
"Jake Paul was sent a contract to fight KSI by Mams Taylor two weeks ago. All material terms were agreed, but Jake Paul has declined."
Additionally, KSI's manager Mams Taylor revealed on Twitter Space - via Dexerto - he allegedly received a call from Paul's team giving "some excuses" as to why he wasn't interested in fighting the British YouTuber over the summer:
"Jake has the contract. It’s not in our hands. We redlined it and sent it back to him. He redlined it, sent it back to us, we redlined it, sent it back to him, and now the ball’s in his court. I did get a call from Jake’s team saying, hey, Jake doesn’t want to fight KSI in summer like we wanted because of some excuses. Whatever. Basically, he doesn’t want to fight KSI. He wants to fight other people."
Since then, KSI has fought both Joe Fournier and Tommy Fury and admitted on the Impaulsive podcast how he "[feels] like [he's] retired," indicating he may not fight again after his recent defeat:
"Right now, I feel like I’ve retired. It’s weird. I haven’t trained since the fight. I’ve kind of just enjoyed my life. It’s weird because I'm like, 'I've got to train the next day. Wait, no I don't! I've got to watch what I eat. Wait, no I don't."
Of course, there is always the chance KSI will still step back in the ring one day, hopefully for the long-awaited bout against Paul. But for now, the British icon seems to be, at the very least, on a break from boxing.
Fans can only hope the Sidemen member looks to step back in the ring eventually to take his constant rivalry with Paul to the ring, but, after years of rumors, speculation, and negotiation, it begins to seem ever-less likely.
Jake Paul will return to the boxing ring on Saturday, March 2.
