Updated

Updated · Heavy.com · Aug 25

Dana White Rejects Promoting 12-2 Jake Paul as Zuffa Boxing Targets Best Fighters

Updated

Updated · Heavy.com · Aug 25

Dana White Rejects Promoting 12-2 Jake Paul as Zuffa Boxing Targets Best Fighters

Q: Who gave Anthony Joshua the strict order to permanently remove Jake Paul from the boxing world?

It is not publicly known. Anthony Joshua said on the Mr. Verzace Podcast and in comments cited by Ring Magazine that he received a “strict message” to “get rid of Jake Paul” and remove him from boxing, but he did not identify who gave that order. The reporting provided here also says the source of the message is unclear. Some coverage suggests Joshua may have been speaking broadly or jokingly about the hardcore boxing community’s frustration with Paul’s place in the sport, rather than referring to a specific individual or official body. What is clear is that Dana White was not identified as the person behind it. White only said he respected Paul for taking the “ballsy” risk of fighting Joshua, while also making clear he still has no interest in promoting Paul through Zuffa Boxing. So the factual answer is that Joshua claimed he was given the instruction, but he has not named who gave it.

3 articles · Updated · Heavy.com · Aug 25

Zero interest was Dana White’s answer when asked whether Zuffa Boxing would promote Jake Paul, saying his model is to match “the best fighters in the world” rather than “Paul brother type fights.”
On the Plan Bri Uncut podcast, White said Paul’s market appeal is obvious but outside his remit, drawing a line between crossover spectacle and the merit-based matchups he says he wants to build.
White still gave Paul credit for facing Anthony Joshua in December 2025, calling it a “ballsy move” after Joshua knocked him out and broke his jaw.
Paul, 12-2 as a pro boxer, remains tied to Most Valuable Promotions, which has merged with the PFL, leaving him an alternative route if he pursues the MMA fight he has said he wants.