Oleksandr Usyk’s Team Challenges Jake Paul to MMA Showdown: It Would Be Interesting

In a move that has sent shockwaves through both the boxing and MMA communities, Oleksandr Usyk’s team has officially challenged Jake Paul to an MMA fight. This unexpected proposition has sparked heated debates among fight fans, with many questioning whether the undisputed heavyweight boxing champion would truly entertain a crossover into mixed martial arts or if this is simply a strategic mind game.

Jake Paul, the former YouTube star-turned-boxer, has made a name for himself by taking on aging MMA legends inside the boxing ring. However, Usyk’s team is now flipping the script, daring Paul to test himself in a completely different arena—one where striking, grappling, and submission skills all come into play.

Could this fight actually happen? Would Jake Paul accept such a challenge? And more importantly, what does Usyk’s camp stand to gain from this? Let’s break down the high-stakes challenge, potential motivations, and what an MMA bout between Usyk and Paul could look like.

Usyk’s Team Issues the Challenge: “It Would Be Interesting”

During a recent media appearance, Serhiy Lapin, one of Usyk’s team members and a key figure in his training camp, dropped a bombshell by openly suggesting that Jake Paul should step into the MMA cage against Usyk instead of calling out boxers.

“Jake Paul is always looking for challenges in boxing. But why not challenge himself in MMA? If he really wants to prove he’s a great fighter, he should try facing Usyk in the cage. It would be interesting to see.”

Lapin’s words immediately set off speculation, with fans and analysts alike dissecting whether this was a serious proposition or just an attempt to put pressure on Paul, who has often been criticized for handpicking opponents in boxing.

Given that Usyk has never competed in MMA, the challenge itself is intriguing. However, his background in combat sambo and his elite-level movement suggest that he might not be completely out of his element in a different combat discipline.

Why Challenge Jake Paul in MMA?

At first glance, Usyk’s team’s challenge to Jake Paul in MMA may seem bizarre. After all, Usyk is one of the most technically gifted boxers of this era, while Jake Paul is still considered a novice in the world of professional combat sports. However, there are several key reasons why this challenge makes sense.

1. A Power Move Against Jake Paul’s Narrative

Jake Paul has built his boxing career around fighting ex-MMA fighters who are past their primes—like Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Nate Diaz—while claiming that he is proving himself against “real fighters.”

By flipping the script and challenging Paul to step into an MMA fight, Usyk’s team is exposing a critical flaw in Paul’s strategy:

Paul has never fought an elite-level boxer in his prime.
If he truly wants to be a fighter, why not compete in a sport where his past opponents excelled?

If Paul refuses, it could hurt his credibility. If he accepts, he’d be in the most dangerous fight of his career.

2. Usyk’s Combat Sambo Background

While primarily known as a master boxer, Usyk actually has a background in combat sambo, a martial art that includes striking, grappling, and submissions. This means he might have more tools in an MMA fight than most people realize.

Exceptional footwork—hard to take down.
Superior striking—would dominate Paul on the feet.
Sambo training—Some knowledge of grappling and takedown defense.

Usyk wouldn’t be a complete fish out of water in an MMA fight, especially against an opponent like Jake Paul, who has limited ground game experience.

3. Financial & Spectacle Value

Let’s be real—if this fight ever happened, it would be a huge commercial success.

Boxing fans, MMA fans, and casual viewers would tune in just to see how Usyk performs in an unfamiliar setting.
Paul vs. Usyk in MMA would generate massive pay-per-view numbers, perhaps even bigger than some of Usyk’s recent heavyweight boxing fights.
Both fighters would walk away with multi-million-dollar paydays.

For Usyk, who has spent his entire career fighting for legacy, this could be a quick financial windfall before he focuses back on defending his heavyweight boxing titles.

Would Jake Paul Accept?

Paul’s History of Avoiding Risks

Jake Paul has built a reputation for being calculated in his matchmaking choices.

He started his career boxing against non-fighters (YouTubers and ex-basketball players).
He then transitioned to fighting ex-MMA fighters who were primarily wrestlers, not strikers.
When offered fights against real boxers like Tommy Fury, he struggled and ultimately lost.

For Paul, accepting an MMA fight against an elite boxer like Usyk would be career suicide. He would be at a significant disadvantage on the feet, in movement, and in fight IQ.

Could He Make It Competitive?

If Paul did accept, he would need to rely heavily on grappling—which is not his strength. However, training with fighters like Bo Nickal and working with the PFL (Professional Fighters League) could theoretically give him a path to victory.

That said, Usyk’s natural size, footwork, and fight intelligence would make it nearly impossible for Paul to impose his will.

Paul has flirted with the idea of stepping into MMA before, signing with PFL in 2023, but he has yet to take a real fight. Accepting a challenge against a world-class champion like Usyk would be a major risk.

What Would an MMA Fight Between Usyk and Paul Look Like?

Scenario 1: Usyk Wins by Striking Domination

The most likely outcome is Usyk outclassing Paul with his superior striking. Even in a sport with kicks, knees, and takedowns, Usyk’s movement and boxing would be too much.

Usyk picks Paul apart with clean punches
Paul struggles to close the distance
Fight ends in a TKO stoppage within two rounds

Scenario 2: Paul Tries to Wrestle, Gets Submitted

If Paul somehow develops a ground game, he might attempt to take Usyk down. However, given Usyk’s athleticism and combat sambo background, he could turn the tables.

Paul shoots for a takedown, but Usyk sprawls and reverses
Usyk catches Paul in a choke or armbar
Paul taps out, and the fight ends in a submission loss

Final Verdict: Will This Fight Ever Happen?

While Usyk’s team’s challenge to Jake Paul is fascinating, the likelihood of the fight happening is extremely low.

Paul has no real incentive to fight Usyk in MMA—he’d have almost no path to victory.
Usyk is focused on defending his heavyweight boxing titles, and an MMA fight could be a dangerous distraction.
Financially, it’s more lucrative for Paul to stay in boxing and face fighters he has a better chance of beating.

However, the challenge does serve a brilliant strategic purpose: it puts Jake Paul on the defensive and calls out his selective matchmaking tactics.

If Paul truly wants to be seen as a real fighter, he might have to start taking real risks—whether inside a boxing ring or an MMA cage.