After broken jaw nightmare against Anthony Joshua, Jake Paul sets December 24 return in Dubai

Jake Paul has set his return for Thursday, December 24, in Dubai. Anthony Joshua, the 37-year-old two-time unified heavyweight champion from Britain, broke the jaw of the YouTuber-turned-boxer in four places last December, and two surgeries followed. It will be the first fight since that night. Paul, 29, has been cleared medically to compete again. No broadcaster is confirmed for the card. Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian says one name is in talks and another is firmly out. Paul has promised a knockout, though no opponent has signed to take one.When is Jake Paul fighting again after the broken jaw?Jake Paul will fight on Christmas Eve, a Thursday this year, in Dubai. Joshua ended their fight in round six with a right hand, and Paul has not boxed since.The 29-year-old says the setback changed nothing about what he is working toward. He has spent years taking risks against opponents few expected him to face, and he calls himself hungrier than ever. Dubai fits the plan because the city thinks big and does not believe in limits. Plenty of names are on the list, Paul says, and the contract is the only missing piece. His message to the city was a seasonal one: “Santa Paul is coming to town, and somebody’s getting knocked out.”Who will Jake Paul fight and why Christmas Eve?Ex-UFC fighter Darren Till, 33, is among those in talks, according to Bidarian, who co-founded MVP with Paul in 2021. Tommy Fury is not. Fury beat Paul in 2023, but Bidarian says his last offer came in Birmingham, at the promotion’s most recent event with Sky. The door only reopens if Fury shows up with a guarantee that suits Paul. Bidarian put it bluntly, “Tommy Fury, to be unequivocally clear, he got his last offer from us in Birmingham when we were there for our last MVPW event with Sky. And the only way Jake Paul’s ever going to face Tommy Fury is if Tommy Fury shows up with a guarantee that’s appropriate for Jake Paul,” Bidarian told SunSports. He added, “We are done giving that guy life-changing opportunities.”The holiday slot has been on MVP’s radar for a while. Bidarian says people are home with family and food, and most of what is on television is reruns or second-tier sports. Amazon has its first Christmas Eve NFL game this year, which backs up his point about a captive audience. Christmas Day is crowded in the US with the NBA and NFL going back to back, so he rates Christmas Eve as the better date. Fewer rival events, he argues, means a better shot at holding viewers.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.