Jake Paul likely didn’t expect his plans for a UK comeback to draw this kind of backlash. After Darren Till called out Nakisa Bidarian for labeling him an “interesting” prospect, Viddal Riley dismissed talk of a potential matchup as nothing more than a ruse. Even after the knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in December raised questions about his future, Paul and his team reignited buzz by discussing a return in the latter half of this year, targeting a fight in the UK. His Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) recently struck a deal with Sky Sports and is set to host an all-women’s card in April.

“I think it’s good clickbait,” Riley told a Seconds Out reporter. “If you’re establishing yourself in the UK and you’re holding a UK show, then it’s good to talk about some UK fighters, but I don’t think there’s an actual plan there. And I’m pretty sure when it is an actual plan, I’ll know. I haven’t heard anything.”

A cruiserweight contender (#11 in both the WBA and WBC top-15 rankings), Riley also holds the British title and is set to face Mateusz Masternak for the EBU 200-pound belt. The bout will feature on the April 4 card at the O2 Arena, headlined by Deontay Wilder vs. Derek Chisora. His skepticism traces back to comments made by Jake Paul‘s associate and MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian.

“The most obvious (opponent) is Tommy Fury,” Bidarian told Boxing Social. “That’s a fight that should be made if Tommy is reasonable, in terms of what the terms are of the fight. But I think Viddal Riley’s an interesting fight; I think Darren Till’s an interesting fight. Those three names come to mind as interesting fights.”

Those remarks have fueled broader questions about how Paul plans to navigate his return. Echoing Derek Chisora’s recent comments, where he wondered whether Paul was dealing with PTSD after the punishing loss to AJ, Riley questioned whether the Cleveland native fully understands the risks of continuing down a path that puts him in with active, high-level fighters.

Or does he revert to the formula that built his early run, matching up with older, retired, or semi-retired boxers and MMA names?

Even as Riley questions his roadmap, unexpected challengers have already stepped forward.

The easy road may be over for Jake Paul

“Hey Jake Paul. Let’s have a fight, a real fight. K-1 against boxing, no low kicks and no elbows,” screen idol Van Damme posted on Instagram. “I’m just a normal guy who wants to kick a**. It can be done in Macau, and it can be in Las Vegas, or in the Middle East, Paris, (or the) UK. I like Macau! We can do it in Macau; that’ll be kind of cool. Or Dubai, Abu Dhabi, wherever, Saudi Arabia. You choose the place, and I’ll give 15% of my purse to a charity. You can do the same.”

Still, if Paul intends to stick to his stated goal of becoming a legitimate boxing world champion, he will have to face credible contenders.

A rematch with Tommy Fury could serve as the launchpad for his comeback. Beyond that, however, he would likely need to share the ring with fighters such as Chris Billam-Smith, David Nyika, Viddal Riley, and others operating at the championship level.

The stakes are high. The AJ fight left him with a broken jaw. Even if he recovers in time for his return, any lingering vulnerability will make him a clear target for seasoned professionals.

Paul now faces a pivotal choice: double down on the tougher route or recalibrate before making his next move.