Jake Paul set for seven-month ring lay-off after vicious Tyron Woodley KO

12/29/2021

Jake Paul looks set to take a seven-month break from the ring after fighting four times in 13 months.

The YouTube star viciously knocked out Tyron Woodley last Saturday at the Amalie Arena in Florida, and has since called out UFC star Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz.

Paul fought in three pay-per-view main events in 2022, including going the distance with Woodley in August and then being taken six rounds in their rematch.

But Mirror Fighting sources have indicated Paul will now take an extended break from the ring to take his first holiday in six years, before focusing on promoting the undisputed lightweight title fight between Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor.

Paul signed Serrano to his Most Valuable Promotions banner earlier this year, and looks set to finally deliver what will almost certainly be the biggest fight in women's boxing history.

And to maximise profits from the bout, sources say the YouTube star will dedicate the first portion of 2022 pushing the title fight, which will be co-promoted with Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn.

Paul and manager Nakisa Bidarian, the former Chief Financial Officer of the UFC, started Most Valuable Promotions ahead of his first fight with Woodley in August, which he won by split decision.

And they will promote their first event without Paul in the early part of next year, with the teams eyeing an April or May date for Madison Square Garden in New York.

Hearn handed the YouTube star and his older brother Logan their professional debuts against AnEsonGib and KSI respectively, and still has a solid relationship with the pair.

Speaking with Mirror Fighting in New Hampshire last month, Hearn said that financial terms were almost agreed for the bout, on the basis that they both won their December fights, which they did.

Taylor comfortably defeated Firuza Sharipova in Liverpool a week before Serrano obliterated Miriam Gutierrez Stateside, and there appears to be nothing stopping the fight taking place on DAZN next year.

"She'll make what she needs to make," Hearn said of Serrano. "They've made a request for a purse for that fight and I'm confident that we can get there."

Hearn has since said the fight will ideally be announced in the early part of 2022, with Paul anxious to make sure the event is "massive".

And Paul is adamant that Serrano make millions for the bout, as well as Taylor who will be the 'A-Side' given she is the undisputed champion and a bigger name worldwide.

"She’s put in thousands and hundreds of hours in the gym and she deserves the big payday that she’s going to get," Paul said on an episode of his brother's podcast Impaulsive.

"She deserves to be able to retire from boxing and not work again. That hasn’t been the case for women’s boxing, they’ve been underpaid and taken advantage of.

"It’s an amazing accomplishment for me to be able to help her and she’s such an awesome person."

In terms of an opponent for Paul's return, discussions are ongoing with a number of parties, although nothing is set in stone as yet for the planned July date.

Paul's management company BAVAFA Sports said recently that he was angling for a bout with former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Who would you like to see Jake Paul fight next year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!

And while an offer is believed to have gone out to Chavez Jr, sources have said that it's not a top priority, and they are leaning towards a different direction.

Paul has used offers to other fighters as a negotiation tactic in the past, likely influenced by manager Bidarian's history working in the UFC where the practice was commonplace.

While he was angling for a fight with Dillon Danis earlier this year, his team made an offer to Michael Bisping in an effort to show Danis that they had options, and ultimately opted to face Ben Askren when Danis was unable to compete due to an injury.

Tommy Fury is also still in the mix to get a rescheduled date with Paul, and given that he is still suffering from a chest infection as he recovers from a broken rib, it could be perfect timing for the Love Island star.

But there is trepidation after a huge sum of money was spent promoting the Paul vs Fury fight for December, which he pulled out of with injury after missing two press conferences due to a family emergency.

The ideal scenario for Paul's team, Mirror Fighting understands, is that Diaz can fight out his UFC contract before March, at which point he would be free to organise a boxing match against the YouTube star.

He was in attendance at the Woodley fight to support teammate Chris Avila, who earned a majority decision win in a bout with Paul's sparring partner Anthony Taylor.

But if a trilogy with Conor McGregor becomes available to Diaz, he could hold off until the summer, meaning Paul would have to take another option or extend his time out of the ring even longer, which is not being considered.

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