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Hearn Warns Jake Paul Over AJ Fight – ‘Be Careful What You Wish For'

hasib

6 August 2025

Eddie Hearn says there’s a “50-50” chance of an Anthony Joshua and a Jake Paul fight happening in 2026, as he warned the Problem Child over taking the fight.

Joshua is coming off a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, which took place last September, and is looking for a fight to bounce back amid links with Tony Yoka. A win could then set up a Paul fight next year, as The Problem Child had previously called out Joshua after his unanimous decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. The proposed bout with Paul could be a smart move for Joshua, not only due to the experience gap but also because it would likely be one of the biggest paydays of his career. Hearn says the fight could happen after talks with MVP co-founder Nakisa Badarian, but also issued a warning to Jake.

"I had a good chat for about an hour with Nakisa on [July 30], and now I believe they want the fight. I really do. Nakisa was very honest, and he’s concerned about the fight, but Jake truly believes he can win the fight or at least be competitive in it. Now, because of the size of the fight, it leads me to believe there’s a very good chance it could happen. It’s 50:50 [that it happens]. It was a very positive conversation, and we expect that conversation to extend over the coming weeks," Hearn said

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If that fight does not happen, Paul could coax Conor McGregor into a bout. Paul has had enough of McGregor’s training videos and has publicly told the former UFC champion to “give it up.” The last time McGregor fought in the UFC was during his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, where McGregor suffered a broken leg in his loss at UFC 264 in 2021.

Since 2017, McGregor’s record has been 1-4, with his last win against Donald Cerrone in 2020. He had planned on making his return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but withdrew after suffering a broken toe in training.

McGregor is also facing scrutiny over his personal life as he was found liable in a sexual assault civil lawsuit, as he lost his appeal against Nikita Hand. While McGregor still wants to return, having reenterd the UFC’s testing pool with an eye on the UFC White House card next year, Paul has advised him to stop.