Jake Paul’s surprising one-fight condition draws firm response from Oleksandr Usyk’s camp

What started as a surprising post-fight encounter may now evolve into one of the most unorthodox matchups in combat sports. Oleksandr Usyk, fresh off a dominant victory over Daniel Dubois, faced off with Jake Paul—sparking a whirlwind of speculation online.

The Ukrainian regained the IBF heavyweight title, completing his collection of the four major belts by knocking out Dubois in the fifth round. With the win, Usyk reaffirmed his position as the undisputed heavyweight champion and arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing today.

But while the boxing world expected names like Tyson Fury or Joseph Parker to emerge as Usyk’s next potential opponent, it was Jake Paul—YouTuber-turned-fighter—who stole headlines with a challenge that was anything but conventional.

Paul’s unlikely condition

Paul, who returned to the ring in June to defeat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., shocked fans by proposing an MMA fight to Usyk via social media. “Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time Usyk on a huge win. I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world,” he wrote.

While most dismissed the notion of a traditional boxing match between the two as unrealistic, Usyk’s team responded with surprising openness to the idea of an MMA contest.

“We all understand we can’t put Jake Paul and Oleksandr in the ring for boxing—there is no way,” a member of Team Usyk stated. “But Jake Paul was a wrestler. He knows how to fight a little bit. I think MMA would be the perfect thing to do.”

Could it really happen?

Although Paul’s name continues to grow in the sport—thanks to high-profile wins and constant media attention—a bout with Usyk still feels far-fetched for many within the boxing and MMA communities. Yet, as history in combat sports repeatedly proves, spectacle sometimes overrides logic.

Usyk, who has always displayed both competitive grit and good humor, appears to be leaning into the moment, if only to keep fans intrigued. Whether this leads to an actual Octagon debut remains to be seen.