Social media star turned fighter heading to UAE a year after defeat to Anthony Joshua

Show caption: Jake Paul says he will announce an opponent for a December 2…

Jake Paul has announced he will make his return to the ring in Dubai on Christmas Eve.

Paul has not fought since suffering a double jaw fracture in a knockout defeat to former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in December 2025.

The American required surgery and had titanium plates and screws inserted into his face, raising serious doubts as to whether he would fight again.

However, the 29-year-old revealed on Thursday that he was heading to the UAE and that his opponent and further details of the December 24 event will be announced in the coming weeks.

“I've spent years proving people wrong, taking risks, and pushing myself against opponents nobody thought I'd face,” said Paul, a former social media star who made his boxing debut in 2020.

“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.

“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.”

Recent reports in the UK have linked Paul to bouts against former UFC star Darren Till and British boxer Chris Eubank Jr.

Paul's promotional company, Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), was founded in 2021 and has grown into a major player in combat sports, largely on the back of his own in-ring exploits.

Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) has faced a variety of opponents during a short and colourful career, including UFC and NBA athletes, as well as former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a record-breaking 2024 bout streamed on Netflix.

MVP merged with the Professional Fighters League earlier this year and has continued its global expansion by signing a co-operation agreement with the Dubai Sports Council and the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism (DET).

The company has also played a prominent role in the growth of women's boxing, with Paul's fight cards often featuring some of the sport's biggest female names.

Jake Paul v Mike Tyson - in pictures

Nakisa Bidarian, MVP's co-founder and chief executive, said: “This is more than a fight. It's a global event in one of the world's great destination cities, on one of the most special nights of the year, when families everywhere are together and watching.

“At Most Valuable Promotions we build events people remember, and Thursday, December 24 in Dubai will be a Christmas Eve spectacle that the world will be talking about.

“We're finalising an opponent worthy of Jake's return and look forward to sharing more in the coming weeks. Shukran jazeelan to Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Sports Council for their leadership in bringing this event to the UAE.”