In the eyes of Most Valuable Promotions partner Nakisa Bidarian, the bout between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua proved to be a sterner test for the British heavyweight than his subsequent clash with the relatively unknown Albanian fighter Kristian Prenga. The narrative began when Joshua, returning to the ring after a harrowing car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends, faced the YouTube sensation turned pugilist Jake Paul in December. That encounter ended dramatically when Paul delivered a series of blows that ultimately broke Joshua's jaw, forcing the fight to be stopped after six intense rounds.
Fast forward to Joshua's next appearance, his first since that painful encounter with Paul. The British champion squared off against Prenga, a name that carried little weight in the heavyweight rankings. The fight started explosively: Prenga managed to drop Joshua twice in the opening round, sending the champion to the canvas on two separate occasions.
Demonstrating the resilience that has become a hallmark of his career, Joshua rose each time, shook off the shock, and in the second round delivered a decisive knockout that sent Prenga sprawling and secured a swift victory. The win kept Joshua on track for a much‑anticipated showdown with Tyson Fury later in the year. While the result seemed straightforward—a dominant performance by Joshua over a lesser‑known opponent—Bidarian argued that the fight actually underscored how well Paul had fared against the champion earlier in the year.
"Jake Paul won more than the guy on Saturday night won," she told Sky Sports News, emphasizing that Paul lasted the full six rounds, absorbing the same punishment that Prenga endured in just two rounds. "He was in there for six rounds. That dude was out in two rounds, taking the same shots Jake was taking." Bidarian expressed a mixture of admiration and disappointment.
She praised Paul's performance, noting that despite the eventual outcome—Paul's broken jaw—he had shown remarkable durability against a heavyweight of Joshua's caliber. "I'm very happy with his performance, not happy with the outcome, and didn't like that he broke his jaw," she said. "But the hardest shots on Jake Paul didn't do what they did to a heavyweight on Saturday." Beyond the technical analysis, the conversation turned personal. Joshua had dedicated his victory over Prenga to his late friends, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele, who perished in the tragic car crash.
Bidarian conveyed deep respect for the champion's emotional journey, recalling how she had been in regular contact with Joshua throughout the week following the fight. "I'm proud of him, in awe of him, thinking of him," she said. "We developed a relationship with Sina, which was hard for all of us, but no harder for anyone than their families and AJ, who is part of their family. For him to make that walk seven months later, to go into the ring with that emotion, I'm sure that weighed heavily on him.
Massive respect, massive admiration." The discussion also touched on Paul’s future in the sport. Although he has not stepped into the ring since Joshua fractured his jaw in two places, Bidarian remains confident that Paul's boxing career is far from over. She outlined a long list of potential opponents that could reignite Paul's trajectory, ranging from former UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou to Britain's own Chris Eubank Jr., and even WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia. "100 per cent he's boxing again," she affirmed.
"Jake wants to fight Ngannou, Ryan Garcia, but Tommy Fury is a fight that makes sense. Edgar Berlanga, that's a fascinating fight. I also like Chris Eubank Jr, that's a fascinating fight." Bidarian also cautioned that matchmaking must be realistic, noting that promotional ambitions sometimes outstrip what the market can support. "The fighters on the other side also need to be realistic.
Sometimes their eyes are bigger than what the box office affords us to pay," she warned. Looking ahead, MVP has a busy schedule, with the upcoming MVPW‑06 event in Birmingham slated for August 29.
The card will be headlined by a clash between Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron, with Caroline Dubois also featured, and will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. Fans can also stream the event without a contract via the NOW platform, ensuring broader access to the sport. In summary, while the Prenga bout may appear as a routine win on paper, it served as a lens through which Bidarian evaluated the relative difficulty of Joshua's recent opponents. Jake Paul's six‑round performance, despite ending in a severe injury, demonstrated a level of toughness that eclipsed the brief, two‑round defeat of Prenga.
The narrative highlights both the physical resilience required in heavyweight boxing and the emotional weight carried by athletes like Joshua, who fight not only for titles but also in memory of lost friends. As the boxing world anticipates future matchups—whether it be a rematch between Joshua and Fury, a potential showdown between Paul and a crossover star like Ngannou, or other high‑profile bouts—the sport continues to blend raw competition with personal stories that resonate far beyond the ropes.