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Who will Jake Paul fight next? McGregor, Mayweather and Diaz all linked

Jake Paul

Paul is weighing up his options after extending his unbeaten record to 5-0 in December.

Jake Paul ensured he maintained his 100% winning start as a professional following a knockout win over Tyron Woodley.

The pair met in a rematch, with Woodley replacing the injured Tommy Fury on short notice. While the first bout between them was a close encounter - which saw Paul win via split-decision - there was no doubt who won the second bout.

Paul delivered a thunderous right hook to the temple and ended proceedings in round six at the Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida.

The "Problem Child" has become a pay-per-view star on Showtime so it's hardly a surprise there is a queue of fighters wanting to take him on although judging by the latest set of buys, he will need to fight someone with a significant name next. The Showtime PPV is rumoured to have generated just 65,000 purchases. 

Below, Planet Sport considers some of the possible contenders to face Paul next.

Tommy Fury

Fury was expected to be Paul's most recent opponent but he was forced to pull out of the showdown because of injury and illness.
The pair have a history of bad blood but according to Paul, he will never fight Fury after he withdrew from their proposed bout. Fury is a professional boxer but has a similar amount of experience to Paul when it comes to the professional scene with seven wins.
His seven opponents have hardly been the most compelling of tests though with them having a combined record of 175 defeats and just 14 wins.
Fury is not a big name in America but he has the crossover appeal to the British market after appearing on reality TV show Love Island. If not next, somewhere down the line these two will meet.

Jorge Masvidal

The latest UFC star to challenge Paul. Jorge Masvidal is the biggest pay-per-view attraction for Dana White's MMA promotional company after Conor McGregor and he has been in a war-of-words with Paul since his win over Woodley.

Paul named Masvidal as one of the three opponents on his radar alongside Nate Diaz and Kamaru Usman - who beat Masvidal in their rematch last year to retain the UFC welterweight title.

Masvidal suffered yet another defeat in the cage, this time to arch-rival Coby Covington.
"You can't afford me. The names that you mentioned? You can't afford," Masvidal said.
"I know what you pay. You talk a big game - $50m here, $50m there. If that was the case, Floyd Mayweather would have taken a fight with you. But he hasn't.
"You don't generate that type of revenue. You give out free tickets! You can't afford me to come over.
"Let me tell you a little secret about me - I fight for money or I fight the best in the world. You are neither.
"Come on over to UFC. Sign a one-fight deal. I will break your jaw in front of the whole world. If you want it, it's here."
Masvidal would love to collide with Paul but it is highly unlikely he will crossover into the MMA world. Meanwhile, it is impossible for Masvidal to move over and box Paul because of his current contract with the UFC.

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr

The Mexican is most known for being the son of an all-time great in Julio Cesar Chavez.
As it stands, Chavez Jr is being linked with facing Paul next and what better fight to have than a former world champion with a legendary surname?
Chavez Jr showed a lot of promise early on in his career, becoming middleweight champion and defeating the likes of Andy Lee during his reign at the top before losing a unification bout to Sergio Martinez.

However, with three defeats in his last five, including a loss to Anderson Silva, Chavez is getting less dedicated as the years go by and it would be the perfect opportunity for Paul to win his first fight against an actual boxer.

Not to mention he can then taunt Canelo about beating the same opponent he fought in 2017. Would he be ready to fight Paul in August? Judging by his father's comments, it may be too soon following a stint in rehab.

"I want to let you know he's in good hands," Chavez Sr stated after being asked if his son had been kidnapped after concerns over his whereabouts.
"He's on a recovery programme and will be better soon and able to speak to you all soon.
"Some wondered if he had been kidnapped or gone missing, but he is recovering and he will be able to provide more information himself soon."

Nate Diaz

Now, this is a realistic possibility due to Nate Diaz's one fight left on his UFC contract. Diaz - who was present at the Paul-Woodley weigh-in to support close friend Chris Avila - got involved in a backstage scuffle after both fighters hit the scales.

Team Diaz were also at the public workouts on fight week. It seems as if the former UFC lightweight champion is on board with the idea of colliding with the YouTuber-turned-boxer. 

Paul is optimistic about the possibility of a Diaz showdown claiming it would do 1.5 million PPV buys. Diaz's MMA career seems to be coming towards an end with defeats to Jorge Masvidal and more recently Leon Edwards. He is most famous for his two-fight series with Conor McGregor.

Anderson Silva

He may be 46 years old but Anderson Silva has looked dangerous since switching from the MMA world to boxing. He was a huge underdog going into his contest against former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. only to outpoint him comfortably earlier this year.
The Mexican fighter - who has defeated the likes of Andy Lee and been in the ring with Canelo Alvarez - was unable to cope with Anderson's movement and feints throughout the bout. The Brazilian followed it up with another win, this time over Tito Ortiz via KO.
Jake Paul seems to love fighting former MMA fighters so if he fancies a legitimate challenge then perhaps he should turn to Anderson.

Floyd Mayweather

We can already hear him counting the dollar signs…

He's already fought his brother Logan Paul in an exhibition so don't rule out Floyd Mayweather being Jake Paul's next opponent.

If the numbers are right, Mayweather will no doubt make a comeback against Paul, who he punched in the build-up to fighting Logan.
There is no doubt about it, Mayweather is the greatest of his era but father time catches up with everyone so he will not be making a return to the ring against anyone who has a chance of beating him as a pro or in an exhibition.
This would be a much more interesting build-up compared to Mayweather versus Logan Paul due to the trash-talk both can deliver. Don't rule this out but also don't hold your breath on it.

Conor McGregor

conor mcgregor ufc mma
The Irishman is a name that Jake Paul has called out ever since deciding to lace up a pair of gloves.

Despite his obsessiveness with Conor McGregor, the UFC star himself has refused to acknowledge his taunts at all. The "Notorious" is by far the biggest generator in MMA and now in fight sports following the retirement of Floyd Mayweather.

A bout between McGregor and Paul could do millions on pay-per-view but it's all about timing and now isn't the right time.
McGregor is focusing on making another comeback into the octagon but should he taste another couple of defeats then he may decide to call it a day and cash out one more time - and what better way than to do it against a mouthy YouTuber and knock him out.

Read more: Oleksandr Usyk vs Anthony Joshua - A list of countries which could host the rematch

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