Oleksandr Usyk vs Jake Paul in MMA? ‘Optimistic’ talks held for crossover combined martial arts bout | Boxing Information

Oleksandr Usyk and Jake Paul’s groups are contemplating whether or not the 2 might meet in a combined martial arts contest.

Oleksandr Usyk is the pre-eminent boxer of his era. An Olympic gold medallist, unbeaten as an expert, who’s gone undisputed at each cruiserweight and heavyweight, Usyk is near the height of his powers.

Jake Paul is a social media influencer who has launched a boxing profession that’s having fun with fashionable success. He misplaced a choice to Tommy Fury however has overwhelmed former UFC fighters and staged a high-profile eight-round bout with the 58-year-old Mike Tyson.

However a crossover MMA conflict between the 2 is being mentioned.

Nakisa Bidarian, the co-founder of the MVP promotional firm with Paul, revealed: “We have had a few conversations, all very constructive, and it simply relies on how the timing traces up. I feel the chance is there”.

He instructed Sky Sports activities: “Jake is loopy sufficient to do it for certain, Usyk’s facet appear very fascinated by it. So it is nearly lining up the timing and I feel finally it is one thing that may occur.”

Bidarian defined how the unlikely link-up took place. “Daniel Dubois acquired his US debut on Jake’s first pay-per-view occasion in 2021 after which we went to help Usyk vs Dubois in Poland after they fought, and so we began to construct a relationship with them. I feel it was three or 4 months in the past when Usyk got here out and stated: I might love to do yet one more struggle and I might prefer to struggle Jake Paul in MMA,” Bidarian stated.

“Jake is loopy sufficient to do it. It is humorous, he instructed me the opposite evening: ‘Oh, that is a simple struggle.’ I stated he is acquired a wrestling background. He is like: ‘Oh [no], I did not know that!'”

Bidarian nonetheless believes an MMA bout with Usyk would make sense for Paul, and might occur.

“I feel so, completely. Jake has two priorities, as do I for his profession and MVP as a complete: we wish to placed on nice boxing occasions and he desires to develop into world champion, however we additionally wish to do mainstream cross-cultural moments in fight sports activities. Paul vs Tyson did that in some ways,” he stated.

“The identical factor for Paul vs Usyk in MMA. That is going to be a cross-cultural second that the world will take note of. So we’re all the time fascinated by these alternatives.”

Watch the Callum Simpson vs Ivan Zucco European title struggle dwell on Sky Sports activities on June 7.