Jake Paul reportedly in early talks with Matt Riddle for potential fight following WWE release

By Josh Evanoff - October 6, 2023

Jake Paul is reportedly in talks with Matt Riddle for a potential boxing match next year.

Jake Paul and Matt Riddle

‘The Problem Child’ has been out of the ring since a clash with Nate Diaz in August. There, Jake Paul scored a unanimous decision win over the UFC veteran. Since then, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has been quiet about who he might face next, but it might be another former MMA star in the form of Matt Riddle.

The middleweight contender famously had a controversial UFC stint, being released in 2013. While Matt Riddle quickly signed to Bellator, he instead embarked on a career in the WWE. However, he was released from the professional company last month, which could apparently lead to a fight with Jake Paul.

The news was first reported by Wrestling Observer Newsletter‘s Dave Meltzer. In the report, it was clear that talks between Jake Paul and Matt Riddle are very early, and would be best described as preliminary. Furthermore, it wasn’t clear if the two would meet in a boxing match, or an MMA fight.

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Logan Paul and Jake Paul

Image via: @loganpaul on Instagram

Obviously, Jake Paul is yet to have an MMA fight in his combat sports career thus far. However, earlier this year, he signed with the PFL and signaled that he would fight in the cage eventually. Thus, making a potential MMA fight with Matt Riddle a possibility if they want to pursue it.

However, there are sparse details on the potential fight as of now. If it happens, it would be the first combat sports appearance for Matt Riddle in over a decade. However, he has continued to train to an extent in that timeframe.

What do you make of this potential boxing match? Do you want to see Jake Paul vs. Matt Riddle in 2024?