Oct 29 (Reuters) – YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will return to the ring on December 24 in Dubai just over a year after suffering a broken jaw in his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, he said on Thursday.
American Paul, 29, will headline the Christmas Eve card, with his opponent yet to be announced.
The bout will be Paul’s first since his sixth-round knockout loss to former heavyweight champion Joshua in Miami on December 19 last year when his jaw was fractured in two places, injuries that required multiple surgeries in December and February.
“I have spent years proving people wrong, taking risks and pushing myself against opponents nobody thought I would face,” Paul said in a statement.
“Nothing that’s happened has changed my belief in myself or what I’m working toward. I am hungrier than ever and on December 24 I’m returning to the ring in Dubai to start the next chapter of my journey.
“We’ve got plenty of names on the list; let’s see who signs the contract,” he added.
Paul has a 12-2 professional record, with his only defeats coming against Britain’s Tommy Fury and Joshua.
(Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
