Jake Paul will push to fight pound-for-pound boxing star Canelo Alvarez if he knocks out Mike Tyson later this year.
That’s the view of Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian, who spoke to Ariel Helwani this week about Paul’s controversial career.
Bidarian states that Canelo is Paul’s ultimate goal. Paul has been boxing for four years against aged MMA fighters, basketball players, and hapless boxers with no foothold in the sport.
Targeting Canelo, a beast and one of the best fighters of the last quarter of a century, is either a money-making masterstroke for Paul and Bidarian or a move that will backfire when the first bell goes. However, Bidarian says Paul would rather face Canelo than Conor McGregor.
The plan depends on what transpires when Paul fights a nearly sixty-year-old Mike Tyson in what Paul’s team attempts to pass off as a genuine, credible fight. It’s not, and Paul will get zero kudos for defeating Tyson at his age and with his medical problems.
Nonetheless, Bidarian is adamant that’s the blueprint.
“Canelo is definitely someone who he [Jake Paul] wants to fight,” Bidarian told Helwani on the MMA Hour. Asked if the fight was ‘doable,’ he added, “I think if Jake knocks out Mike Tyson, it’s very doable.”
Helwani then pressed with a question on UFC superstar McGregor. “If he knocks out Mike Tyson, what’s more doable, that [Canelo] or Conor?”
Bidarian responded, “Canelo. I don’t think Conor has much to gain from fighting Jake Paul. He’s pretty wealthy. It’s a different sport.”
Host Helwani then pointed out that Canelo was, too, regarding money. Bidarian replied, “Yes, but Jake has been disruptive in Canelo’s sport. Jake might put down one of the most iconic boxers in history – Mike Tyson. If I’m Canelo, I’d look at that and say, ‘Hey, now I’m going to teach this young man a lesson for hurting this legend in my sport.
“I don’t know what Conor’s motivation is [regarding fighting Paul]. I think Conor is more likely to fight KSI than Jake Paul,” the MVP boss concluded.
Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian is LIVE and IN STUDIO on #TheMMAHour
▶️ https://t.co/XhuEDCWaJ4 pic.twitter.com/8XuwFEYOzk
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 3, 2024
Tyson is recovering from a stomach ulcer flare-up and isn’t yet back to full force in the gym. Paul has since taken an interim fight as their initial date of July 20 was pushed back four months due to Tyson’s ailment.
There’s still no one-hundred-percent certification that the Paul vs. Tyson fight will go ahead. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation will medically assess Tyson despite fully licensing him to box.
If Tyson gets ruled out, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. could replace the youngest heavyweight champion of all time, but only if Paul beats Mike Perry later this month. Even if Paul defeats Perry and Tyson, enticing Canelo even to consider the fight could take a significant paycheck higher than his current $35 million guarantee.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
