Jake Paul’s controversial and highly lucrative boxing career may come to a close after just 14 professional bouts.
The YouTuber-turned-businessman made his professional debut in 2020, initially facing opponents of similar experience. He gained fame by defeating former UFC fighters such as Nate Diaz, Ben Askren, and Anderson Silva. Paul suffered his first loss against Tommy Fury, but that setback didn’t significantly derail him. However, his second defeat—against two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in December last year—was far more damaging. The Olympic gold medalist struggled to land clean shots early on, but once he did, a devastating right hand ended the fight in the sixth round. After the bout, Paul revealed he had suffered a “double broken jaw.”
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani show, Paul admitted that the fight against Joshua—widely considered dangerous from the moment it was announced—could be his last.
“I’m getting some new scans of the jaw in a couple of days to see how the healing process is going. We’ll see what the doctors say. I think I’ll get a more accurate timeframe, or maybe find out if I can even fight again. That’s definitely a possibility. It feels a lot better as weeks go by, but I definitely need to be cleared before I can spar. I’m still staying in shape—I’m always in the gym anyway. Yeah, my fighting future is in doubt. Most definitely. It depends on how the bone heals. Also, I’m missing a tooth here; I’ll probably need an implant. I don’t know how much time that adds. We’ll just have to see and figure out what’s smartest for me.”
While the 29-year-old admitted he has considered that this might be the end, he said he still feels he has unfinished business in the sport and will return if medically cleared.
A broken jaw is one of the most serious injuries a boxer can suffer, not only because of the immediate pain and slow recovery but also due to potential long-term physical and psychological effects. The injury raises concerns for doctors and governing bodies regarding durability, nerve damage, and the jaw’s ability to withstand further heavy impact—especially if surgery involving plates, screws, or other metal fixation is required to stabilize the fracture.
Even if fighting is ruled out for Paul, his time in boxing as a whole is unlikely to end, as his promotional company MVP has become a leading entity in women’s boxing.
