AFCON 2025
Undisputed heavyweight champion, Oleksandr Usyk has issued a stunning challenge to Jake Paul, but not in the way most expected.
Rather than entertaining another boxing crossover, Usyk declared that he would only face Paul under MMA rules, inside a cage, and only after he concludes his legendary boxing career.
The Ukrainian star was reacting to Paul’s recently unveiled five-year plan, which included lofty ambitions such as winning a world boxing title, defeating Usyk, and even staging a fight “on the moon.”
Usyk fired back with a blunt message on social media, writing: “Good plan, @jakepaul. But I’m not here for 5th place — only first. Soon, I’ll close the book on boxing, and after that, I’ll be waiting for you in the cage.”
Usyk’s response immediately shifted the narrative. By refusing a traditional boxing contest, he flipped the challenge onto Paul, daring him to step outside his comfort zone.
The move also raises questions about timing, since Usyk still has title defenses ahead of him, and about whether Paul, who has built his reputation as a crossover star, would risk his momentum against one of boxing’s finest under completely different rules.
Nothing is concrete yet, but the possibility of a Usyk–Paul clash under MMA rules promises to be one of the most talked-about spectacles in combat sports.
