Jake Paul, 29, Cleared to Fight After 2 Jaw Surgeries

Why Was He Cleared to Fight Again?

Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian announced the medical clearance Thursday on X, writing, "Jake Paul has been cleared to return to the boxing ring," according to ESPN. The announcement ends a roughly 10-month layoff tied to a broken jaw suffered in the ring last December.

The clearance follows two separate procedures on the jaw, one in December and a second in February, ESPN reported. The fighter told ESPN in April that training had already resumed, though no return date had been set publicly before this week's update.

What Happened in the Fight That Caused the Injury?

The jaw fracture came during a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last December, ESPN reported. The defeat remains the most recent entry on a boxing record that otherwise includes ten wins, seven by knockout, against two losses, per ESPN's tally.

The Joshua fight marked one of the sport's higher-profile crossover matchups, pitting a former two-time heavyweight world titleholder against a boxer who built his early career outside the traditional amateur and professional pipeline. The loss, and the injury that followed, had kept the 29-year-old out of the ring since.

Who Is on the Wish List for a Comeback Fight?

With clearance now in hand, attention turns to opponents. ESPN's report names Canelo Álvarez, Conor McGregor and Sean Strickland among the fighters under consideration for a return bout, spanning both boxing and mixed martial arts.

Álvarez, a longtime fixture atop boxing's pound-for-pound rankings, has separately told ESPN he wants his career's final fight to take place in Mexico, though no opponent has been confirmed for that bout. McGregor and Strickland both compete primarily in MMA, meaning a matchup with either would likely require a cross-discipline arrangement similar to past crossover cards.

None of the three fights has been agreed to, and ESPN's report does not specify a timeline for finalizing any of them. The wish list reflects stated interest rather than signed contracts.

What Does the Record Look Like Heading Into a Return?

By the numbers, per ESPN:

• Professional record: 12 wins, 2 losses
• Knockouts: 7
• Age: 29
• Jaw surgeries since December: 2

The two losses on the ledger came against fighters with extensive professional résumés — Joshua most recently, continuing a pattern in which the higher-profile defeats have come against established former titleholders rather than lower-tier opposition.

When Could the Next Fight Happen?

ESPN's report does not list a confirmed date or venue for a comeback bout. Bidarian's statement addressed medical status only, not an opponent or schedule. Training has been underway since at least April, based on comments made to ESPN at that time, giving a head start once a matchup is finalized.

The absence of a locked opponent means the next move likely hinges on negotiations with one of the three named targets, or another name entirely. Crossover bouts of this kind have historically taken weeks to months to finalize once a wish list becomes public, given the need to align boxing and MMA regulatory bodies, broadcast partners and purse structures.

For now, the clearance itself is the confirmed development: a jaw that required two surgical repairs has healed enough, by medical standards cited in Bidarian's statement, to permit a return to live sparring and competition. Everything beyond that, including which name from the wish list becomes the actual next opponent, remains unresolved as of ESPN's report.

Read the original ESPN report

What Other Boxing Storylines Are Running Alongside This News?

Paul's clearance arrived in a week already crowded with heavyweight headlines, per ESPN's boxing coverage. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua held their first press conference ahead of a scheduled bout, with Fury dismissing a reported characterization of Joshua as boxing's "landlord," according to ESPN. Promoter Eddie Hearn told PA that Joshua looks "more vulnerable" than in past outings but still carries a heavier punch, remarks that appeared on ESPN's boxing page the same week as Bidarian's statement.

ESPN's coverage also noted a separate wish-list item from another camp: a report citing comments naming both Froch and Paul among five potential future opponents for a different fighter. That item is unrelated to the Joshua rematch question but reflects how frequently Paul's name surfaces across boxing's crossover-fight discussions, independent of Thursday's medical clearance announcement.