Jun 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Jake Paul fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

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Jake Paul Teases Alex Pereira Showdown In Boxing, But One Major Hurdle Could Stop The Fight Cold

Jun 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Jake Paul fights against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Jake Paul has built his boxing career on fighting former MMA champions and retired boxers. From Ben Askren to Tyron Woodley to Anderson Silva, Paul has systematically called out fighters from the octagon and convinced them to step into the boxing ring. His most recent bout was against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and before that, an exhibition against 58 year old Mike Tyson that drew massive viewership numbers on Netflix. Now Paul is searching for his next opponent after his scheduled fight with Gervonta Davis fell through at the last minute.

Alex Pereira represents the ultimate challenge for Jake Paul’s crossover boxing ambitions. The Brazilian light heavyweight champion is one of the most devastating knockout artists in UFC history. Before joining the promotion, Pereira was a kickboxing world champion who knocked out Israel Adesanya twice. Now Jake Paul has claimed preliminary conversations have already taken place between their teams. However, one massive obstacle stands in the way of this fight becoming reality, and it’s the same hurdle that has stopped countless crossover fights in the past.

Jake Paul Claims Pereira’s Team Is Down For The Fight

Speaking with ESPN, Jake Paul (12-1) didn’t hold back about his interest in facing Alex Pereira. He explained that preliminary conversations have already happened regarding a potential matchup between them. Paul believes this fight would be absolutely massive and generate enormous interest from both boxing and MMA fans.

“We approched Alex Pereira for a boxing match. His (Alex Pereira) team is down [to do the fight]…It would be a massive fight at some point, and I know he’s down to make it happen.”

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That confidence suggests Paul’s team has received positive feedback from Pereira’s camp about the Brazilian’s interest in the opportunity. Given the massive payday Paul can offer, it’s not surprising that Pereira would be interested. The UFC champion fights frequently and takes dangerous matchups regularly, so a high-paying boxing match against Paul would be an attractive proposition.

The UFC Stands Between Paul And His Dream Fight

Here’s where things get complicated. Jake Paul clearly identified the major hurdle preventing this fight from happening.

“I think the only thing preventing it is the UFC, and if these guys can get out of their contracts to fight me,”

That’s the reality of trying to book crossover fights with active UFC champions. Dana White and the promotion control when and where their fighters compete, especially champions under exclusive contracts. Alex Pereira signed a new eight-fight deal with the UFC just over a year ago. He’s already four fights into that contract, meaning he still has four more bouts remaining with the promotion.

Pereira is the kind of active champion who fights multiple times per year, so that contract will likely keep him busy in the octagon for at least another two years. Getting the UFC to sanction a boxing match during that time frame seems extremely unlikely.

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Alex Pereira

Gervonta Davis

Jake Paul

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!