Jake Paul eyeing Nate Diaz/Mike Perry MMA fights next year after PFL-MVP merger

After teasing an MMA jump for several months now, Jake Paul has officially revealed his plans for MMA. Just hours after the PFL-MVP merger announcement, Paul appeared for an interview with SportsCenter, where he opened up about transitioning into MMA as well as his boxing return plans.

“I’ve been trying to make it happen for a long time, and it’s really just come down to negotiations behind the scenes,” Paul said. “I’m gonna go come back, hopefully later this year, into boxing and then looking to do MMA in 2027. So there’s still a long list of opponents out there that I wanna fight, massive names. I’m only developing my skill. I’m 29 years old,” Paul said.

Later, speaking with TMZ’s Michael Babcock, Paul opened up more about his duties following the MVP-PFL merger. Not only running the new combat sports company, but Paul also explained his desires to fight. Discussing potential MMA opponents, Paul touched on the subject of facing Nate Diaz and Mike Perry.

“Yeah, Nate Diaz. Mike Perry would be great,” the celebrity boxer said. “We love Mike Perry. The Nate conversation has been ongoing. It just never made complete sense. I think up until this moment, things just got a lot more serious with this announcement. So, I want the Nate Diaz MMA fight very, very bad.”

Jake Paul is currently sidelined and out of action after undergoing serious surgery-requiring jaw injury following his fight with Anthony Joshua last year in Dec. 2025. With no confirmed updates on his return, Paul is currently hoping to explore a career in MMA as well as the NFL.

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