Jake Paul Reveals Return Timeline, Potential Opponents for Next Fight After Injury Recovery

After suffering a broken jaw in his knockout loss against Anthony Joshua in December, Jake Paul is still on the mend.

While speaking to Mike Babcock of TMZ, Paul said that he's "finally feeling healthy again," but he hasn't yet been cleared to resume sparring. Once that happens, he predicted he could make his return to the ring in "either late 2026 or early 2027," and he named former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou as a potential opponent.

Ngannou is set to make his return to MMA against Philipe Lins in the co-main event of the May 16 Netflix fight card headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano and promoted by Paul's Most Valuable Promotions.

Despite their upcoming business together, it's clear that there is no love lost between Paul and Ngannou. The 39-year-old told TMZ last month that he'd welcome a fight against Paul.

Paul thinks he has an advantage over Ngannou because he lasted longer against Joshua than Ngannou did in his 2024 second-round knockout loss.

"I think [Ngannou] getting knocked out unconscious by Anthony Joshua in like one or two rounds and then seeing me just take on Anthony Joshua for six rounds. Obviously, I ended up on the canvas too, but not unconscious," Paul told Babcock. "I think he realized like, 'Oh snap, this kid is actually a lot better than I thought.' And I think there's a chip on his shoulder that I went three times as long as him. And then I'm sitting there talking smack to him. I think me versus Francis is an amazing fight."