Nakisa Bidarian, a partner at Most Valuable Promotions, recently shared her view that Jake Paul presented a sterner challenge to Anthony Joshua than the Albanian contender Kristian Prenga did. In the bout that marked Joshua’s return to the ring after his December showdown with the YouTuber‑turned‑boxer, the British heavyweight found himself on the canvas twice in the opening round, both times at the hands of the under‑dog Prenga. Despite the early setbacks, Joshua managed to rise, regain his composure, and deliver a decisive knockout in the second round, keeping his trajectory toward a year‑end clash with Tyson Fury intact.
Bidarian, however, believes the fight underscored just how competitive Paul was during his six‑round encounter with Joshua before the British champion landed the jaw‑breaking blow that has since become a talking point. "Jake Paul won more than the guy on Saturday night won," she told Sky Sports News.
"He lasted six rounds. That other fighter was stopped in two rounds, taking the same punches Jake was taking." She went on to express mixed feelings about the outcome: while pleased with Paul’s display, she lamented the injury that resulted.
"I’m very happy with his performance, not happy with the outcome, and didn’t like that he broke his jaw, but the hardest shots on Jake Paul didn’t do what they did to a heavyweight on Saturday," Bidarian explained. This fight also marked Joshua’s first appearance in the squared circle since surviving a tragic car accident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends.
The emotional weight of that experience was evident as Joshua dedicated his victory over Prenga to his late companions, Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele. Bidarian praised Joshua’s resilience, noting the deep personal connections he had formed with the families of his friends. "I’m proud of him, in awe of him, thinking of him," she said, adding that she had been in constant contact with him throughout the week.
"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." Since the jaw injury, Paul has not stepped back into the ring, but Bidarian is adamant that his boxing career is far from finished. She outlined a robust list of potential future opponents, ranging from former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou to British prospect Chris Eubank Jr., and even WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.
"One hundred percent he’s boxing again," she asserted. "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 remain realistic, acknowledging that sometimes fighters’ ambitions exceed what the market can support financially. "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 remarked.
Looking ahead, MVP is gearing up for another major event, MVPW‑06, scheduled for August 29 in Birmingham. The card will be headlined by a bout between Mikaela Mayer and Chantelle Cameron, with Caroline Dubois also on the lineup. The event will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, and fans will have the option to stream the fights without a contract through the network’s platform. In summary, while the Prenga fight provided a short‑term test for Joshua, Bidarian believes that Paul’s performance over six rounds demonstrated a higher level of difficulty, especially given the comparable damage both opponents inflicted.
She remains optimistic about Paul’s return to the sport and is actively exploring match‑up possibilities that could reignite his boxing trajectory while also ensuring financial viability for all parties involved.