Jake Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian has spoken about the influencer’s feelings on boxing, 10 months on from Paul’s knockout loss to Anthony Joshua – and two months before his comeback.

Paul was stopped by “AJ” in six rounds in December, with the former world heavyweight champion dealing the YouTuber-turned-boxer a broken jaw.

Paul, 29, underwent multiple surgeries and admitted that his doctor did not want him to fight again, but the American will return to the ring on Christmas Eve – against an as-yet-unnamed opponent.

Bidarian, who runs Most Valuable Promotions with Paul, spoke to The Independent on Monday, three days before Paul’s comeback in Dubai was confirmed.

“I think when when you have a loss, there’s always a period where you go through various emotions: good, bad, reflective, definitive, not definitive,” Bidarian said via Zoom.

“And I would tell you that we would never consider Jake Paul coming back to boxing unless his love and motivation for boxing was the same – if not more – than what it was before the Anthony Joshua fight, because boxing is not a game; you don’t play boxing.

“Jake is, thank God, in a very fortunate financial position where he doesn’t need to do boxing to make it all make sense. So, if he is coming back to the ring, it’s because of his love and desire for the sport, which is 100 per cent what it is.

“He’s excited to come back, he’s excited to entertain, and he’s excited to continue on his journey of proving to the world that he is a remarkable, one-of-a-kind story. And his ultimate goal is to become a world champion.”

Paul said via a press release on Thursday: “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, 24 December, I'm returning to the ring in Dubai to start the next chapter of my journey.

“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.”

Many of Paul’s opponents have come from the UFC, including Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, Mike Perry, and former champions Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley. Paul dropped and outpointed both Diaz and Silva, while he stopped Perry and Woodley – having previously beaten Woodley on points, too.

The American also beat former world-champion boxers Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, defeating both on points. Paul beat heavyweight legend Tyson, who was 58 at the time, in 2024, in the most-watched boxing match of all time; 60m households watched live on Netflix.

Paul’s sole loss came against Tommy Fury, half-brother of Joshua’s rival Tyson Fury, via decision in 2023. Paul and Fury recently traded words on social media, but it is unclear whether a rematch is on the cards.