Can Jake Paul return from Anthony Joshua jaw break? BKFC title challenger who had a similar injury weighs in

Jake Paul suffering a broken jaw against Anthony Joshua generated several headlines to close out 2025, and a looming BKFC title challenger, who suffered a similar injury, has offered up his thoughts on ‘The Problem Child’. Dustin Pague is the combatant in question and vies for Julian Lane’s welterweight championship at BKFC 86 on January 17th.

Pague sustained a broken jaw against Carlos Trinidad Snake a few bare-knuckle fights ago, with one of the promotion’s top-ranked contenders at 165 pounds giving Pague similar damage to what Paul had taken versus AJ. When asked what his thoughts are on all of that in the context of how the formerly ranked WBA cruiserweight could potentially come back from that damage as someone who himself came back from a similar injury, Pague said [via Bare Knuckle Bowker],

“I guess it comes down to the individual. He might take this as a sign like, oh, maybe this isn’t the best road for me. For me, I’ve always wanted to fight. I’ve always considered myself a fighter. The jaw surgery was just a small bump in the road.”

“I knew that from the moment that I had surgery, I’m like, well, this is just a small setback. I’m going to get back in there. Obviously, it didn’t affect me in my last two fights. It feels good. I don’t have any residual pain from it. Some minor numbness on the lower part of my my lip here, but other than that, man, I’m back and now I got an iron jaw to hit.”

Jake Paul receives his suspension terms from the Anthony Joshua KO loss

Jake Paul has been indefinitely suspended following the referenced damage sustained against Anthony Joshua.  The Florida Athletic Commission released this specific information in the wake of the massive Netflix card with Paul’s term on the sidelines carrying some question marks. With plates put in the deal with his injury following recent surgery, ‘The Problem Child’ will have an unclear return timeline.

Names from the card, like Tyron Woodley was given a thirty-day suspension in the wake of his knockout loss to Anderson Silva. But former two-time Woodley rival Paul is not in as defined a situation on a regulatory level for participating athletes.