Tommy Fury has reportedly turned down a final, “life-changing” offer to run it back with Jake Paul, according to The Sun. The pushback from Paul’s side came fast, with Fury accused of “finding excuses” to stay out of a second fight. If the report holds, the rematch that’s been hovering over both men’s careers just hit a brick wall.
The timing is strange. Earlier this cycle, Bloody Elbow reported that Paul himself had waved off the idea of a Fury rematch, saying the “ship has sailed.” So we’ve got Paul saying he’s moved on, and then a reported final offer that Fury rejected anyway. Somebody wanted this fight more than they let on in public. Maybe both of them.
Paul hasn’t boxed since last December, when Anthony Joshua stopped him in the sixth round with a right hand that broke his jaw in multiple places. That was the second loss of Paul’s pro boxing career, and he’s spent the months since recovering. Recently he put out a 15-name hit list of guys he wants to fight before he retires, featuring Francis Ngannou, Tom Aspinall, Sean Strickland and Darren Till.
Darren Till Is Waiting by the Mailbox
Till looks like the frontrunner. Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian told Jack Figg of The Sun Sport that “Darren Till is definitely one of the names that Jake put out there on his list,” and confirmed they’ve been in talks. Bidarian said the date hinges on locking in the opponent and sorting distribution. If it drags another three to five weeks, he said, the fight slides into early 2027.
If it gets done fast, Bidarian has a date in mind: Christmas Eve. His logic is that families are home, the sports calendar is thin and Christmas Day is crowded in the U.S. with NBA and NFL games. “So I think Christmas Eve is better than Christmas Day, at the moment,” he said.
Till has been begging for this one for years, and he recently said he’s “waiting for the contract.” The former UFC welterweight title challenger is on a five-fight win streak across different rulesets, including a boxing knockout of Luke Rockhold and BKFC wins over Aaron Chalmers and Yoel Romero. He does have one fight left on his BKFC deal, though Bloody Elbow reported the promotion would likely let him fight elsewhere. Meanwhile, Derek Brunson debuts in BKFC on November 20 against Theo Doukas and is openly angling for a bare-knuckle rematch with Till, so the Gorilla has options. Strickland also called for his UFC release earlier this month so he could box Paul, in the middle of a pay dispute with the promotion.
Tommy’s Take
I’ll give Fury this much: he’s the one guy on the planet who doesn’t need Jake Paul’s money badly enough to take it on Jake’s terms. But passing on a “final” offer while Paul’s camp publicly paints you as the one making excuses is a bad look, and the market isn’t going to wait for him. Paul already has a list of 15 names and a motivated Englishman who’s been calling him out since he left the UFC. Fury can watch Paul vs. Till from the couch on December 24, right next to everyone else’s grandma.
