Jake Paul is in talks to stage a boxing event in Australia, with promoters targeting 2027 despite his brutal December defeat.
Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian confirmed his team has already approached Australian broadcasters about a Paul event aimed at US prime-time audiences. Bidarian said his team has asked Fox Sports to consider the idea and report back on how to make it happen.
Bidarian said he had made it very clear he would love to stage the event there, and that a Sunday card would be ideal because it would go into US prime time. A Sunday event in Australia would land in Saturday-night American television, a coveted slot for combat sports scheduling.
Team Paul's confidence is partly drawn from a decade-old piece of Melbourne history. In 2015, Ronda Rousey drew more than 50,000 fans to her fight with Holly Holm, setting a UFC live gate record at the time despite her shock knockout loss. Bidarian said the figures showed Australia's potential, describing the country's sports market as the best in the world pound for pound. He noted that Rousey and Holm had nothing to do with Australia and still hold the record for most tickets sold by women to a combat sports event.
Women's boxing roster
The reference comes amid MVP's recent focus on women's combat sport. The promotion this month staged Rousey's 17-second win over Gina Carano, which became the most-watched MMA fight in American history. MVP's roster includes Cherneka Johnson, Ebonie Bridges and Queenslander Desley Robinson, giving the promotion local talent for any future Australian event.
Paul's career at a crossroads
Any Australian event would come at a pivotal stage for Paul, who holds a 12-2 record after suffering the first stoppage loss of his career against Anthony Joshua last December. Paul underwent surgery for a broken jaw, had titanium plates fitted, lost teeth in the aftermath, and was stripped of his WBA cruiserweight ranking in January.
In a May interview, Paul said his boxing career was most definitely in doubt, before later indicating he expected to be cleared to spar within a couple of months.
