A top Indian boxer ran a viral campaign on social media for months to get a fight against Jake Paul. Now, the two are joining forces.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul has signed Neeraj Goyat to his boxing promotion company, Most Valuable Promotions, officials told ESPN on Friday.
Goyat, 32, is a former WBC Asian welterweight champion, the first Indian fighter to reach the WBC world rankings and one of the country's best boxers. He has almost 1 million followers on Instagram and has appeared on Indian television and in Bollywood films.
“I am truly honored to be the newest member of the Most Valuable Promotions family,” Goyat said in a statement. “MVP has been making waves in the boxing world, particularly with its commitment to showcasing and elevating women in the sport since 2021. In just two and a half years, MVP has hosted some of the biggest boxing events in the world and “I am excited to work with MVP to elevate the status of professional boxing in India and bring attention to Indian boxers globally.”
Goyat, MVP's first international signing, is expected to make his debut for the promotion this summer. MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said Goyat “will be a key part of a global MVP event” later this year and that talks have begun with potential opponents.
“His viral comments about Jake Paul certainly caught our attention, and we are honored to welcome Neeraj to our family of exceptional athletes,” Bidarian said in a statement. “The influence of both Indian fighters and the Indian boxing fan base has been underrated on the global stage, and we eagerly anticipate focusing the world's attention on one of India's leading boxers.”
A professional boxer since 2011, Goyat (18-4, 8 KOs) has won nine of his last 10 fights, with the only loss coming against José Zepeda in March 2023. He flew to Puerto Rico this week and posted a video of him and Paul faces and has almost 2 million likes on Instagram.
Paul fights Ryan Bourland on Saturday in San Juan. MVP's Amanda Serrano, one of the best boxers in the world, takes on Nina Meinke in Serrano's homecoming to Puerto Rico.
