Jake Paul has a retirement plan, and it reads like a fantasy booker’s group chat. Paul posted a 14-line hit list on X late Wednesday night (00:10 GMT Thursday, October 8), opening with “Before I rest…” and closing by tagging his business partner Nakisa Bidarian with “Make it happen.”
Here’s the full list as Paul wrote it: Canelo Alvarez, Francis Ngannou, Conor McGregor (Boxing & MMA), Sean Strickland, Darren Till, Ryan Garcia, KSI, Chris Eubank, Edgar Berlanga, Tom Aspinall (Boxing), Deontay Wilder, Nate Diaz (MMA), “Midget who ruined our fight” and, at the very bottom, “World Title.”
That’s 12 named opponents, one unnamed one Paul clearly holds a grudge against, and a belt. A few of the parentheticals matter. Paul wants McGregor under both rule sets, he wants Aspinall in a boxing ring, and he wants Diaz in MMA. Paul didn’t say who the mystery spoiler on line 13 is, and I’m not going to guess for him.
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The Strickland Timing
The most interesting name on the list is also the one who might actually pick up the phone. About two hours before Paul posted, Championship Rounds shared a clip of Strickland sounding fed up with his employer.
“Unless things change with the UFC thing I’m kinda over it. Contemplating just going to 205, knocking out my contract and scrapping with Jake Paul,” Strickland said.
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That comes after a messy week over money. Strickland wasn’t announced for UFC 335 in December against Nassourdine Imavov, and Dovy Simu reported on X that the holdup was Strickland wanting more cash. A post from @Erntastedfresh, which Imavov quoted, claimed Strickland is asking for $1 million to fight Imavov on January 16 at UFC 336 while the UFC is offering $400,000 to show and $400,000 to win.
Imavov has been loving every minute of it. On Sunday he wrote on X, “If it’s really about money, I’ll put $500K of my own money on the line if you beat me in January,” and added a jab at the promotion: “THIS is your champ? Come on STRIP HIM.” Then on Wednesday, Championship Rounds posted video of Imavov running into Strickland in Las Vegas, where Imavov pressed him about the unsigned contract and offered to put up money himself.
So Paul names Strickland the same night Strickland says he’s thinking about vacating, going up to 205 and finishing out his deal to get to Paul. If you think that’s a coincidence, I have a bridge in Puerto Rico to sell you.
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My Take
I love a guy who writes his targets down in public, because now we get to keep score. Most of this list is a vision board. Canelo and Ngannou are pipe dreams until somebody shows me a signed contract, and a world title sitting at the bottom like a grocery item is pure Jake. But the Strickland line is live. The UFC has a champion haggling over $1 million while a challenger is literally offering to cover the gap out of his own pocket, and Paul just dangled the exit door. If the UFC doesn’t get Strickland’s name on a UFC 336 contract for January 16, that’s a self-inflicted wound, and Paul will be standing there with a pen.
