Oleksandr Usyk is ‘dead serious’ about fighting in MMA after the undisputed champion is finished in boxing.
That’s according to PFL’s Dan Hardy, who has admitted the WBA, WBC and WBO heavyweight champion would be ‘lethal’ in the cage.
This follows comments from a representative of Usyk, Sergey Lapin, who said ‘it might be great’ for the Ukrainian boxing icon to fight Jake Paul under MMA rules.
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PFL founder Donn Davis followed suit, posting on X: “Oleksandr Usyk vs Jake Paul in MMA Could Genuinely Happen at PFL. 2026 ideal for Usyk v Jake.”
Even Usyk himself teased the potential MMA bout by sharing a graphic of the pair facing off in front of a PFL cage on his Instagram last week.
There’s no wonder the head of PFL wants Usyk to fight under his promotion, considering the lucrative broadcasting deals that would be on offer.
The same goes for Usyk, as all he would need to do is catch Paul once and the fight could be over in seconds, with hundreds of millions to be made on top of that.
However, former UFC fighter Hardy, who now oversees PFL’s European events, warns Paul is likely to target a different kind of opponent.
He also isn’t too confident the American boxer, who fought Mike Tyson in November, will make the crossover at all.
“One thing I can say is that I do know that Usyk is absolutely dead serious about fighting in MMA,” Hardy told talkSPORT.com.
“I can tell you that for sure. Which would be incredibly exciting because I think he would be lethal.
“As far as Jake Paul goes, I don’t know. Don Davis is the best person to ask with that regard.
“He is the ringmaster. He is the person that deals with Jake Paul and the whole chaotic side of combat sports. I just sit back and watch and do what I am needed to.”
Although Paul has never fought professionally in mixed martial arts, Hardy believes the YouTuber-turned-professional boxer has the chance to do ‘pretty well’ in the sport, and will carefully select any future opponents.
“If Jake Paul steps into there and fights, I would be more than happy to commentate,” he added.
“I would be fascinated to see how it plays out. I have taken heat for this, but I actually think he would do pretty well.
“He is young. He is powerful. He has all the money he needs to dedicate all of his time to his craft. He is improving at boxing fairly quickly. He has a background in wrestling at Ohio State.
“He has the ingredients, all the things that he needs to be successful. He is not going to fight Leon Edwards, is he?
“He is not going to fight someone that is at the top of their game. He is going to want to fight Ben Askren or Tyron Woodley or probably call me out.
“You know what I mean? He is going to want to fight someone, even Nate Diaz. We will hold Nate in high regard, but he is 40 per cent scar tissue now. He is an old guy when it comes to fighting.
“I don’t even think that would be a good matchup for Nate Diaz. Jake Paul could certainly crack him and hurt him with small gloves on.”
Former UFC star Ben Askren was the first fighting athlete Paul got into the squared circle with.
He debuted in the sport with a first-round victory over fellow YouTuber Ali Eson Gib in January 2020, before knocking out former basketball player Nate Robinson.
Paul then stopped Askren and fought Tyron Woodley twice, winning the first via split decision and brutally knocking out the former UFC welterweight champion in the second.
The 28-year-old then defeated MMA icon Anderson Silva, but suffered the first loss of his controversial career to Tommy Fury shortly after.
He has since defeated Nate Diaz, Ryan Bourland, Mike Perry and Tyson, with the latter coming in front of 70,000 fans in Texas.
