Overview
- Paul told ESPN he has held preliminary conversations with Pereira’s team and believes the UFC champion is willing to box.
- No bout is agreed, and any crossover fight would require UFC approval while Pereira remains under contract.
- Recent coverage notes the UFC rarely releases active champions for outside events, with observers rating the matchup’s chances as near zero for now.
- Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian framed UFC reluctance as strategic, arguing Dana White would greenlight the fight if he felt confident in a Paul loss.
- Paul is searching for a new opponent after the Gervonta Davis exhibition collapsed and is pursuing a December return tied to his Netflix deal.