Jake Paul will face former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28 at Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) announced the 10-round cruiserweight bout, which will air on DAZN pay-per-view, per ESPN.

The event, co-promoted with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, represents Paul’s next step in his boxing career after his high-profile victory over Mike Tyson last November.

“Five years ago, I stepped into the ring for my pro debut after a single amateur fight, and every fight since has been a step towards becoming world champion,” Paul told ESPN. “I just defeated the baddest man on the planet, and now I’m going against a former champion.”

Previous Negotiations

This announcement comes after failed negotiations with boxing superstar Canelo Alvarez. According to MVP, they were “deep in negotiations” for a Cinco de Mayo (May 5) weekend fight before Alvarez signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season in February 2025.

Paul also pursued a fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, but those plans were derailed after Davis’ controversial majority draw against Lamont Roach Jr. in March.

“Chavez Jr. has always been on the short list of fighters that Jake Paul has targeted,” MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian told ESPN. “After the Tyson fight, the original plan was to fight Chavez Jr. next. However, the Canelo opportunity presented itself and we paused discussions with Chavez.”

Chavez, 39, last held a major world title in 2012. The son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. has had an uneven career trajectory, going 8-6 after starting with a 46-0-1 record.

“I will show what I can do now that everything is in the right place in my life – mentally and physically,” Chavez said in a statement. “I feel rejuvenated and 10 years younger.”

Expanding Boxing Audience

The matchup follows Paul’s record-breaking event against Mike Tyson on Netflix, which averaged 108 million live viewers globally, making it the most-streamed sporting event in history according to Netflix metrics.

The June 28 card will also feature unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez defending his titles against former unified champion Yuniel Dorticos in the co-main event.