A shattered jaw, titanium plates, and a sixth-round stoppage would be enough to quell most post-fight storylines for any fighter. But for Jake Paul, it was not enough to keep him quiet.. Instead, the YouTuber-turned-boxer leaned into the chaos, leveraging the aftermath of his toughest loss yet to reopen an old door that had never entirely closed.

What made it unusual was the tone. There was no animosity toward Anthony Joshua, and no complaints about officiating or matchmaking. Instead, frustration was redirected. By the time ‘The Problem Child’ sat down with his brother Logan Paul on IMPAULSIVE, it was clear that one name was back on his radar: Francis Ngannou.

Jake Paul claims he can now face Francis Ngannou

Jake Paul portrayed the bout as a learning experience rather than a defeat. “It’s not that hard to get your a– beat,” he laughed on IMPAULSIVE, before claiming he held his own early on. According to him, the issue was not skill, but rather scale. “The mental pressure of the big guy… sparring the big people is different than the 10 oz gloves. So I was feeling his power a lot more,” he said.

He admitted that preparation was rushed, blaming the short camp and missing altitude training as major mistakes. Still, ‘The Problem Child’ sounded dissatisfied rather than discouraged, even admitting that he made Joshua wobble at one point. “I had him wobbled at one point, but he had his hands up better this fight.”

However, he failed to capitalize and got himself a broken jaw instead. “He surprised my jaw. It’s literally snapped. It’s like a baseball in there.” Jake Paul definitely wouldn’t mind it, though, especially after knowing the fact that he went four rounds longer versus Joshua than Francis Ngannou did.

“I told everyone, though, that I would do better than Francis,” he stated, before dropping the line that reignited everything: “Francis is low-key soft.” Logan Paul wasted no time in stirring the pot further. “You know what that means?” he asked. “He could beat Francis.” Jake didn’t hesitate. “That’s a good idea,” he replied, implying that ‘The Predator’ might finally take the fight now.

Now, there is a flipside to this narrative. Ngannou had a different gameplan from Paul’s. The ex-UFC heavyweight was moving forward and trying to engage, while Paul spent most of the fight moving around, avoiding Joshua’s big right hand. Not to mention the eleven or so takedown attempts. Still, the irony is hard to overlook.

Francis Ngannou previously turned down Jake Paul, calling the contest pointless. But after seeing ‘The Problem Child’ survive six rounds with Joshua, something ‘The Predator’ couldn’t do, the math seems different.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer won’t be back until his jaw recovers, which could be as late as mid-2026. But the narrative is already forming. Jake Paul didn’t see this loss as a dead end. It was proof. And if he has his way, Francis Ngannou may soon be asked to answer it in a boxing ring. But till then, ‘The Problem Child’ has some other plans.

Logan Paul reveals brother Jake’s plans during recovery

That future talk comes with a pause built in. Jake Paul surely made a lot of noise following the Anthony Joshua fight, but the next few months aren’t about matchmaking or momentum. According to Logan Paul, the focus has turned away from rings and rivalries and toward something considerably more personal than public callouts.

The WWE superstar stated that he doesn’t know when his brother will return, and this uncertainty isn’t just medical. While a fractured jaw requires patience, it is not the primary reason boxing has taken a back seat. “I do know that his fiancé, Jutta Leerdam, is going for Olympic gold in speed skating in February,” Logan said, adding that supporting her goal has become the family’s top priority.

For the time being, training camps and negotiations can wait. It’s a different rhythm than fans are used to from Jake Paul, but it fits the moment. After going up against one of boxing’s most fearsome heavyweights, stepping back does not read as retreat. It reads like “reset.” When the time comes, the ring will still be there.