5 UFC fighters Jake Paul could box next

Jake Paul is set to take on yet another fighter with an MMA background this weekend. He faces Tyron Woodley in the main event of a Showtime boxing card. Having already defeated Woodley's teammate, and former UFC fighter, Ben Askren, Jake Paul is hoping to increase his undefeated record to 4-0.

Whether or not he beats Woodley, there will likely be many more representatives of the MMA world interested in facing 'The Problem Child.'

Contract negotiations may make these potential fights somewhat awkward to book. However, Dana White has previously made allowances for certain fights, with the Askren vs. Paul matchup being the most recent example.

Thus, in the following list we will breakdown five potential UFC fighters who could face Jake Paul in a boxing match next.

#5. Nick Diaz vs. Jake Paul

A fight with Nick Diaz would continue the pattern emerging from Jake Paul's pro boxing career so far. He has been primarily matched with opponents who are arguably in the twilights of their careers.

At the time of writing, Nick Diaz is 38 years old. He has not competed since 2015, where he lost via unanimous decision to Anderson Silva. The fight was later overturned to a no contest due to Silva testing positive for PEDs and Diaz for marijuana.

Nick Diaz does have a fight in the UFC booked, having signed a contract to rematch Robbie Lawler at UFC 256. Should he be victorious against Lawler, it seems likely that Diaz will attempt to make a full comeback to MMA. But should he come up short, a big celebrity boxing match payday might appeal to the elder Diaz brother.

#4. Kamaru Usman vs. Jake Paul

One of the names that Jake Paul has on his hit list is that of the current UFC welterweight champion, Kamaru 'The Nigerian Nightmare' Usman. This does not seem to be a fight that makes sense on any level but Usman has hinted that he wouldn't be against it.

Usman has been dominant inside the UFC. He has defeated some impressive opposition including Jorge Masvidal, Colby Covington and Jake Paul's upcoming opponent Tyron Woodley.

Usman initially came into the UFC with a wrestling-heavy approach. However, over the past few years, quite possibly due to the recent influence of Trevor Wittman, Usman has fallen in love with striking.

Fellow welterweight Leon Edwards has stated that Usman's recent striking heavy approach will eventually be what gets him in trouble. However, the brutal KO finish of Jorge Masvidal contradicts this theory.

😤 WHOLE. NOTHA. SAVAGE. 💥🏆 Kamaru Usman knocked out Jorge Masvidal to retain his UFC welterweight title! 🇳🇬#UFC261 pic.twitter.com/Dk69ac9WXI
— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) April 25, 2021

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#3. Jorge Masvidal vs. Jake Paul

In the buildup to Jake Paul's fight with Ben Askren, videos surfaced of him training with Jorge Masvidal. This then escalated to the point where Paul called Masvidal up whilst in the pre-fight press conference in an attempt to rattle Askren.

However, things seem to have since changed. Jake Paul appears to have taken Masvidal's prediction of a Woodley win to heart. At a recent media scrum, 'The Problem Child' had the following to say about 'Gamebred':

"One moment, he's my friend. Texted me like saying, 'Yo, let's train. Yo, let's do a video together. Yo, can you come to my bakery down the street, I want to do a little thing with you.' And then, oh snap, all of a sudden he wants to switch up. Cool. That's not how I was raised. Not here in Ohio. If I'm your friend, I'm your friend." (H/T ESPN).

Masvidal has since responded in kind on his social media.

I guess this means you’ll stop hitting me up now on social media to hang out and train. Don’t worry about me you got a handful of problems coming your way #supernecessary
— Jorge Masvidal UFC (@GamebredFighter) August 26, 2021

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Jorge Masvidal has already shown a willingness to take money fights. He has also hinted at being interested in transitioning to boxing at some point in his career.

#2. Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul

Of all the potential fights on this list, a matchup between Nate Diaz and Jake Paul may well be the most likely to happen. It would make perfect sense, with Diaz currently unranked in the UFC, but still holding remarkable name value.

The boxing side of mixed martial arts has always been the bread and butter of Nate Diaz's game. Against Leon Edwards, Diaz struggled over five rounds against his opponents' complete arsenal of MMA weapons. However, it was with his boxing that Nate nearly finished the fight in the final round.

Add to this the huge fan base behind him, and his ability to sell a fight, and this is the perfect matchup to make.

#1. Conor McGregor vs. Jake Paul

Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul is the perfect fight to make but the name Conor McGregor is simply beyond equal when it comes to combat sports matchmaking. The last time McGregor made the move to boxing, he was part of one of the biggest selling pay-per-view events in history.

Now on a two-fight losing streak inside the UFC, the Irishman may be looking at options outside of the organization. Jake Paul has been vocal in his willingness to fight 'The Notorious'. He even went as far as to have a luxury chain depicting McGregor being knocked out commissioned.

A fight between Conor McGregor and Jake Paul would no doubt sell a ridiculous amount of pay-per-view buys. McGregor would arguably have a skill advantage, whilst Paul is a considerably larger man, giving him the physical edge. Fight fans from all around the world would tune in to find out who comes out on top.

Edited by John Cunningham