Jake Paul is set to end a year-long hiatus from boxing with a comeback fight on Christmas Eve in Dubai, less than a year after suffering a broken jaw in a knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua.
The 29-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer announced the return on social media, with an opponent yet to be officially confirmed. He has been back in training in recent months after recovering from the brutal sixth-round loss to the former two-time heavyweight world champion.
Paul announces Dubai comeback
Speaking about his return, Paul said: "I've spent years proving people wrong, taking risks, and pushing myself against opponents nobody thought I'd face. Nothing that's happened has changed my belief in myself or what I'm working toward. I'm hungrier than ever, and on Thursday, December 24, I'm returning to the ring in Dubai to start the next chapter of my journey."
He added: "Dubai is a city that thinks big, breaks boundaries, and doesn't believe in limits. That's exactly the kind of place I want to make my comeback. We've got plenty of names on the list; let's see who signs the contract. Merry Christmas, Dubai. Santa Paul is coming to town, and somebody's getting knocked out."
Previous loss in the Middle East
Paul has difficult memories of fighting in the Middle East, having suffered his first professional career loss to Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia three years ago. Despite scoring a knockdown late in that bout, he lost on points.
Rather than accepting the defeat, Paul claimed he struggled to adapt physically to the conditions during his training camp in Dubai, which he believed led to his downfall against Fury in Diriyah. "I was going through things outside the gym," he told Stephen A Smith. "A breakup, mentally, getting sick. Not being on point and trying to jam pack a camp in six or seven weeks, there just wasn't enough time for someone at my level to prepare. I get to Dubai and there's dust in the air that I'm apparently allergic to, so I'm sick for another 10 days."
He continued: "Everything that could have went wrong in that fight went wrong, it is what it is. I'm not sitting here and making excuses, I lost. I was the one who chose to get in the ring and put everything on the line, no one is going to remember the excuses I make. I lost fair and square but I'm going to come up stronger and eventually I want to go back after Tommy Fury."
Potential opponents for the return
Several names have been linked to Paul's next fight, including Chris Eubank Jr and Darren Till. A rematch with Fury, however, appears unlikely, as the Brit has said he was already committed to another fight in December and was not ready to face Paul then.
Fury wrote: "Just wanted to make it very clear as to why the rematch with Jake hasn't happened yet. His team came to me when I already had an agreed date in place elsewhere. Why would I then agree to a fight with Jake or anyone of that fact when I had already committed to another fight. He made me an offer knowing full well about the other date. I said publicly that I would fight Jake anytime after that date. Jan, Feb, March literally any time. Jake and his team love to play out to everyone that it's me running from this fight when it's very much the other way around."
