Tommy Fury shares a statement about the Jake Paul fight offer just hours after his return was announced.
Tommy Fury has opened up about whether he’ll fight Jake Paul after getting an offer to appear on Paul’s comeback fight this Christmas.
On Thursday morning, Paul surprised fans by announcing he’ll be back in the ring for the first time since his tough knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. The fight is set for Christmas Eve in Dubai, but Paul hasn’t revealed who he’ll be facing yet. Several names have been mentioned, including Fury, who shared that he was offered the chance to headline the event in a rematch.
Ever since Paul started boxing professionally, he and Fury have had a heated rivalry, often trading jabs on social media. They finally faced each other in the ring in February 2023, where Fury won by split decision after eight rounds, handing Paul his first pro loss.
Both have expressed interest in a rematch to settle things once and for all, and many thought Paul’s December comeback might be the perfect time. But Fury has now confirmed he won’t be Paul’s opponent this Christmas. He says Paul’s team timed the fight offer when Fury had already committed to another match.
On his Instagram story, Fury explained: “Just to be clear why the rematch hasn’t happened yet. His team came to me when I already had a date set for another fight. Why would I agree to fight Jake or anyone else if I was booked? I said publicly I’d fight Jake anytime after that date—January, February, March, anytime. Jake and his team keep acting like I’m the one running from the fight, but it’s actually the other way around.”
At the moment, Fury hasn’t announced his next fight, but it’s likely to be revealed soon, especially if it clashes with Paul’s December bout. Meanwhile, former UFC star Darren Till is thought to be Paul’s likely opponent. Nakisa Bidarian, who co-founded Most Valuable Promotions with Paul, confirmed talks have taken place.
Fury’s statement came after Bidarian criticized him recently, saying Fury was “finding excuses” to avoid a rematch with Paul. Bidarian told SunSport, “Tommy Fury got his last offer when we were in Birmingham for our last event with Sky. Jake Paul will only fight Tommy Fury if Tommy shows up with the right guarantee. We’re done giving him life-changing chances while he finds excuses not to fight.”
Fury hasn’t fought since May 2025, when he beat boxer Kenan Hanjalic.