THE lasting effects of Anthony Joshua’s knockout on Jake Paul could see the MVP co-founder unable to fight for a full year.
Joshua stopped Joshua in devastating fashion in December 2025 and broke the YouTuber-turned-fighter’s jaw with the finishing salvo.
Paul told a group of reporters at the MVP promoted Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano news conference that he won’t even be able to spar until towards the end of 2026.
“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.
“So that puts us maybe late this year or early next year for a fight.”
The 29-year-old appears to have learned his lesson when it comes to stepping in the ring with the biggest and baddest in the game.
He insists he will not be returning to heavyweight and will compete at a more natural weight.
Paul said: “Definitely will be a cruiserweight.”
“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.”
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The Home of Boxing in 2026
There’s a massive year of boxing ahead!
It’s shaping up to be a blockbuster year of action inside the boxing ring.
Tyson Fury will make his return in April against Arslanbek Makhmudov while Oleksandr Usyk takes on the king of kickboxing Rico Verhoeven.
Conor Benn features for the first time since making the switch to Zuffa Boxing and Fabio Wardley will defend his newly won heavyweight crown.
Canelo Alvarez will be hoping to return after his defeat to Terence Crawford and heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk will also need to defend his straps.
Derek Chisora will fight for the 50th and (perhaps) final time against Deontay Wilder while Daniel Dubois is also on the comeback trail.
A whole bunch of British stars could also take a leap into superstardom, with the likes of Moses Itauma, Hamzah Sheeraz and Adam Azim ready to join the very top of the sport.
Here’s all the big fights coming up…
March
- Sat 14 – Jazza Dickens vs Anthony Cacace – WBA super-featherweight title – DAZN
- Sat 21 – George Liddard vs Tyler Denny – British & Commonwealth Middleweight title – DAZN
- Sat 28 – Moses Itauma vs Jermaine Franklin – DAZN
- Sat 28 – Sebastian Fundora vs Keith Thurman – Amazon Prime PPV
April
- Sat 4 – Deontay Wilder vs Derek Chisora – DAZN PPV
- Sun 5 – Caroline Dubois vs Terri Harper – Sky Sports
- Sat 11 – Tyson Fury vs Arslanbek Makhmudov – Netflix
- Sat 11 – Conor Benn vs Regis Prograis – Netflix
- Sat 18 – Callum Smith vs David Morrell – DAZN
- Sat 18 – Manny Pacquiao vs Ruslan Provodnikov
- Sat 25 – Lawrence Okolie vs Tony Yoka – DAZN
May
- Sat 2 – Zurdo Ramirez vs David Benavidez – WBA & WBO Cruiserweight titles – Prime Video
- Sat 9 – Fabio Wardley vs Daniel Dubois – WBO title – DAZN
- Sat 23 – Oleksandr Usyk vs Rico Verhoeven – WBC title – DAZN
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Joshua is a two-time heavyweight champion of the world and his pedigree was worlds apart from the list of fighters that had made up Paul’s then 12-1 resumé.
Paul knew the risks going in, but the reported $70 million payday for the Netflix-shown fight was a pretty nice incentive.
Even though he can’t fight for the foreseeable future, the Problem Child is certainly staying busy.
MVP will be putting on the biggest MMA card outside of UFC in recent history with Netflix once again their home.
Rousey will have her first MMA contest in a decade against another former formidable force in Carano and Francis Ngannou has just been added to the card as well.
