Jake Paul announces next fight against little known opponent in December

Paul, 26, suffered the first defeat of his professional boxing career in February, losing a split decision to Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia.

He bounced back with a points win over former UFC star Nate Diaz in the summer and will hope to close out the year with another win two weeks before Christmas.

August, a 35-year-old cruiserweight fighter, will represent one of Paul’s most experienced opponents to date, having fought 12 times as a professional, losing once.

The Texan has however fought just once in the last three years – a decision win over Brandon Martin in August.

Paul’s record to date includes a YouTuber in his first pro bout, a former NBA star in Nate Robinson followed by former MMA champions in Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva.

With Fury his first and only opponent with any real boxing pedigree, the American is keen to continue making inroads among the professional ranks.  

‘I’m a professional boxer and I want to be world champion, so I need to pursue the path towards greatness against people who have been boxing their whole life,’ Paul said.

‘So far, my entire boxing career has been on pay-per-view, but now it’s about more than business. Now I want to build my experience in the ring against seasoned fighters. I’m coming to prove my greatness.’

Paul has repeatedly made his ambitious case to fight undisputed super-middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.

One of the most decorated fighters of the last decade, the Mexican superstar recently beat unified light-middleweight champion Jermell Charlo to once again underline his status as one of the best fighters on the planet.

Canelo has brushed off Paul’s challenges but says he could consider it once he retires from boxing.

‘Yeah maybe, but not right now,’ Alvarez said in August about possibly fighting Paul. ‘For me, not right now because I’m chasing other things in my career but you never know, maybe later.’

Asked if that meant after he hangs up his gloves, Canelo added: ‘Yeah.’

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