Jake Paul’s Christmas Eve comeback ran into trouble before anyone knew for sure who he’s fighting. The Irish Star reported Friday that Paul was dealt a blow after Netflix made a decision on his return fight. The report frames it as a setback for Paul’s side. The details of what Netflix actually decided aren’t in anything I have in front of me, so I’m not going to invent them. Here’s what I can tell you. None of the posts Most Valuable Promotions put out about the event this week named a broadcaster.
The event itself is on the calendar. MVP announced on X on Oct. 29 that Paul returns Thursday, Dec. 24, in Dubai, and the promotion is billing it as a Christmas Eve spectacle. MVP said the show is happening alongside Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism and the Dubai Sports Council. All three of its posts that day tagged Visit Dubai and the Dubai Sports Council. MMA Fighting’s Morning Report on Friday kept it short, listing Paul as set to make his boxing return.
Who’s in the other corner
Nobody official yet. MMA Fighting reported on Oct. 28 that MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian teased Darren Till as a possible next opponent for Paul. Teased is the key word there. Bidarian also sat for a separate interview that MVP posted Thursday, where he covered Paul’s return, the recent news about Amanda Serrano’s final fight and other company business. So MVP’s CEO has been doing plenty of talking. A signed opponent hasn’t shown up in any of the material.
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Add it up and here’s what exists: a date, a city, two government partners, a rumored opponent from MMA, and a Netflix story that went the wrong way for Paul.
Sal’s take
Every year somebody texts me in late October asking for a lock on a fight that doesn’t have two names on the poster yet. My answer is the same one I give my brother-in-law about his 12-leg parlays. Put your wallet away. Right now this card has a holiday, a skyline and a hashtag. There’s no confirmed opponent and, as far as MVP’s own posts go, no confirmed home for the broadcast either. That’s a promotional campaign. I don’t see a fight there yet.
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If it does end up being Till, I’ll want to see where the books hang the opening number before I get excited about anything. Paul fights have a habit of opening with prices built on name recognition, and the sharp money tends to move them fast once the matchup is real. Netflix’s call, whatever the full details turn out to be, matters for one big reason. The platform decides how many casual eyeballs show up, and casual eyeballs are the whole business model here.
MVP has eight weeks to sort out the opponent and the broadcast before Dec. 24 in Dubai. I’ll post a line when there’s something to post a line on.
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