Jake Paul is not doing the usual next-fight-coming-soon routine this time. The Problem Child told Ariel Helwani that his boxing future is legitimately uncertain after the broken jaw he suffered against Anthony Joshua, and the next few scans may decide whether he can even get back to sparring.
Paul, who previously discussed his recovery after jaw surgery from the Joshua fight, has not returned to the ring since that damage. Joshua is a former two-time unified heavyweight champion, which is exactly why this was never just another crossover stunt. Paul jumped into a much nastier weight of danger and came out with real damage.
“I’m getting some new scans here in a couple of days of the jaw to get an update on the healing process,” Paul told Helwani. “We’ll see what my doctors say. I think I’ll be able to get a more accurate timeframe or, you know, can I even fight again? That is definitely in the realm and possibilities of things.”
Paul said the injury has improved, but he is not pretending clearance is automatic.
“It does feel a lot better as weeks go by and time goes by, but I definitely need to get cleared first to be able to spar,” Paul said. “But I’m, you know, sort of staying in shape. I’m always, you know, in the gym pretty much regardless.”
Watch the full source clip below:
Wow. Jake Paul reveals there’s a real possibility he may never fight again due to complications stemming from the broken jaw he suffered against Anthony Joshua:
“I’m getting some new scans in a couple of days on the jaw to get an update on the healing process.
We’ll see what my… pic.twitter.com/x1TUuVXN34
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) May 11, 2026
Paul Says His Doctor Does Not Want Him Fighting Again
Helwani asked Paul directly if his fighting future was in doubt, and Paul did not brush it off.
“Yeah. No, most definitely,” Paul said. “I think it just depends on how the bone heals. And then also there’s like a tooth missing here. Like I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to get an implanted tooth of some sort. I don’t know how much time that’s going to add to things, but we just have to see and figure out what the smartest thing is for me.”
That is the kind of damage that cuts through the noise. Paul has talked big for years, called out everyone from Canelo Alvarez to UFC stars, and turned boxing into his personal content machine. A busted jaw and a missing tooth are a different conversation, especially after Dana White criticized the Paul vs. Joshua booking before the aftermath became this messy.
Paul admitted he has thought about whether it is still worth it, especially with his businesses already rolling, but he says the competitive itch has not gone away.
“Yeah, those thoughts have definitely come up,” Paul said. “But I’m not done. Like I can just feel it in my spirit, my soul, my heart that I have more fights left and unfinished business in my mind.”
“Injuries are a part of any sport. You know, I think potentially this could be a good outcome. You could tear an ACL and be out and keep on tearing it and tearing it again. So, it’s just a part of any sport and I definitely don’t feel like I’m done and want to keep on fighting.”
The strongest pushback is coming from inside his own medical circle.
“Yeah, definitely. My doctor Arman, shout out to Arman, but he doesn’t want me to fight again,” Paul said.
When Helwani followed up, Paul made it even simpler.
“He’s saying he doesn’t want me to,” Paul said.
Paul said some business people around him have also told him, “You don’t need to do this.”
His fiancée, Olympic speed skater Jutta Leerdam, is not pushing him one way in public. Paul said she understands the athlete side of wanting to compete, but she also sees the obvious risk.
“She is kind of in both boats because she understands being an athlete and having that feeling inside of you of wanting to prove yourself more and to compete and the love of that,” Paul said. “But she also knows that I don’t have to fight and all of these things and there’s so many amazing businesses that I’m working on and are crushing it that she has also mentioned the other side of, yeah, don’t actually need to do this, but she’s supportive of whatever decision I make.”
Paul is not naming a comeback opponent yet. No Nate Diaz rematch talk, no MMA debut tease, no Canelo fantasy booking. The scans come first.
“Not really. Not really,” Paul said when asked if he was thinking about a return opponent. “I think these scans this week that I’m getting will be a very good indicator of what’s next and when.”
