Jake Paul Is Negotiating With Four Opponents — His Comeback Has Three Big Problems
GOATIFYJake Paul has moved from a speculative comeback to active opponent negotiations. On October 22, Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said talks were under way with four potential opponents for a return in late 2026 or early 2027. The statement is meaningful, but it is not a fight announcement: no opponent, venue, date or broadcaster has been confirmed.
That distinction matters after Paul's punishing December 2025 defeat to Anthony Joshua and the lengthy recovery that followed. The next event has to restore confidence in his physical readiness while satisfying an audience that expects a major name. Tommy Fury, Edgar Berlanga and Darren Till have emerged in reporting as possible directions, but the promotion has not publicly identified all four negotiating parties. Each route asks a different question about what Paul wants his boxing career to become.
Four negotiations, no contract: what Paul's return announcement really says
Four active negotiations are not four signed fights. On October 22, Most Valuable Promotions executive Nakisa Bidarian said Jake Paul was discussing a late-2026 or early-2027 return with four possible opponents. He did not publicly name the full group or confirm a venue, broadcaster, weight or fight date. Those missing details matter because they distinguish a serious search from a completed event.
Paul's December 2025 knockout defeat to Anthony Joshua and the jaw injury that followed changed the stakes. Medical clearance to resume boxing is an important milestone, but it does not answer how a fighter responds under pressure after a damaging loss. Defensive reactions, confidence, conditioning and an appropriate weight limit will all matter once the opening bell rings.
A familiar opponent could sell a major show, but might demand a large purse and promotional control. A lower-risk return could help Paul rebuild rhythm while attracting criticism that he is avoiding a genuine challenge. Another major size mismatch could generate attention while repeating the competitive problems of the Joshua experiment.
Paul's public wish lists include established boxers and MMA stars, but those lists are not identical to the four current negotiations. The next decisive announcement should identify an agreed opponent, rules and date. Until then, the uncertainty is part of the story, not a detail to be filled in with speculation.
Tommy Fury offers the clearest sporting answer — and the hardest rematch politics
Tommy Fury is the most obvious opponent if the aim is to settle unfinished business. Fury handed Paul his first professional defeat by split decision in February 2023. A rematch would test whether Paul's subsequent training has closed the technical gap Fury exposed, without the enormous size jump that accompanied the Joshua fight.
Fury has also remained relevant in the crossover scene. His 2026 bout with former strongman Eddie Hall emphasized mobility and conventional boxing skill rather than brute force. It did not turn him into an elite championship contender, but it reinforced the qualities that made him difficult for Paul: an educated jab, experience managing distance and a willingness to win rounds instead of hunting a single dramatic punch.
That is what makes a rematch a useful sporting benchmark. Paul would need cleaner entries, better defensive positioning and more consistent combinations. Fury would have to show that his approach still works against an opponent who has accumulated more experience since their first meeting. The contest could deliver a meaningful answer even if it does not produce a spectacular knockout.
Negotiating the fight is another matter. The two sides have argued publicly over money, promotional arrangements and whether the rematch still makes sense. Fresh exchanges of insults are not proof of a deal. Fury's existing promotional commitments and the price both fighters place on their names could prevent the most intuitive matchup from becoming the easiest one to book. Fans should wait for signed terms before treating this rivalry as the confirmed comeback.
Berlanga and Till represent opposite sides of the crossover gamble
Edgar Berlanga and Darren Till have both appeared in reporting about possible opponents, but they would create radically different comeback stories. Berlanga is an established professional boxer with knockout power and experience against conventional boxing opposition. A bout with him would invite a genuine debate about Paul's level in the sport, rather than only his ability to sell a spectacle. That credibility would come with substantial competitive danger.
Berlanga's natural super-middleweight background makes size and rules central to any hypothetical deal. He is not a heavyweight like Joshua, yet his experience with boxing combinations, distance and ring pressure would still pose a demanding test. There is a business complication too: Berlanga joined Zuffa Boxing in 2026. Any Paul fight would require the relevant promoters to agree on terms rather than simply exchange public challenges.
Till offers a different kind of recognition. The former UFC contender has built an audience across MMA, boxing-related events and bare-knuckle competition, including appearances in 2026. He has the personality to drive a heated promotion and experience in high-pressure combat sports. But a bare-knuckle record does not translate neatly into professional boxing rankings. Fans would need clear information about gloves, rounds, weight and sanctioning before evaluating the matchup.
Neither man has been formally named by Bidarian as one of the four negotiating parties. That uncertainty should stay visible. Berlanga represents a sharper conventional boxing examination with complex promotional interests. Till represents crossover familiarity with questions about how much a victory would prove. The choice would reveal whether Paul wants the strongest test, a manageable return or a high-profile bridge between combat-sports audiences.
The Netflix question makes the opponent decision a business decision too
Bidarian's most revealing comment may have been that the opponent will determine the location and distribution. That turns the matchmaking story into a test of Most Valuable Promotions' leverage. Paul has been a major attraction for Netflix combat-sports programming, but his promotion has worked with other broadcasters too. The next event could be packaged differently depending on its scale, market and likely audience.
Speculation about Netflix should be treated carefully. Changes in the streamer's sports leadership and conflicting reports about future plans have created uncertainty. They have not established that a partnership has ended. MVP has also staged events with DAZN, ESPN and Sky Sports. A headline rematch may suit a global streaming platform, while a more traditional boxing contest could fit a different rights model. The value of each option depends on the opponent, event costs and the audience likely to tune in.
Venue selection follows the same logic. A Fury rematch would have a natural audience in Britain. A Berlanga fight would involve a different promotional map and potentially more complicated rights negotiations. A Till matchup could draw crossover followers familiar with him from MMA and bare-knuckle events. Those are possible commercial routes, not confirmed bookings, and each comes with a different balance of risk and reward.
The larger question is whether Paul can use that flexibility to produce a fight with both commercial appeal and sporting logic. A big audience does not automatically make a mismatch worthwhile. Equally, a credible opponent is not enough if the show cannot be financed or distributed on workable terms. After Joshua, MVP needs a matchup that makes sense before the opening bell, not merely one that dominates the conversation for a week.
Paul's comeback now has a genuine negotiating process behind it, but the next headline should be judged by what it actually confirms. Four potential opponents are not four agreements, and a possible late-2026 return is not an announced fight date. Fury offers unfinished sporting business, Berlanga a sharper professional test, and Till a different crossover audience. The unresolved broadcast question adds another layer to every option.
For Paul, the best next step is not necessarily the loudest name. It is the opponent, weight and event structure that allow him to return healthy, face a credible challenge and give fans a reason to evaluate what he does in the ring. Until those details are signed, the negotiations remain the story.
