Jake Paul vs. Andre August preview, key storylines

Jake Paul's boxing career takes an intriguing turn Friday night in Orlando, as the YouTube star turned prizefighter will face his most experienced - but least known - opponent yet.

Paul is scheduled to headline a non-pay-per-view event on DAZN against Andre August, a pro boxer with a 10-1-1 record. The fight represents a change in strategies for Paul, who has made a name for himself over the last four years by primarily fighting popular (and retired) MMA fighters.

Just months after driving huge pay-per-view and ticket sales for a bout with Nate Diaz at a 20,000-capacity arena in Texas, Paul will be stepping foot inside a quaint venue at Caribe Royale, a resort hotel two miles from Walt Disney World, for a fight against someone no one had heard of until now.

Why?

Below, we answer that question and take a look at the matchup between Paul and August from a few different angles.

Why is Paul fighting an unknown boxer?

This is the most obvious question of all and one that doesn't really have a clear answer. Why, after securing high-profile, highly anticipated matchups with MMA royalty like Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, is Paul stooping this low?

But it's not that he's lowering his standards per se. Paul claims this is the kind of fight he wanted. As much as he has built his name by knocking out the likes of Woodley and Ben Askren, Paul has also faced criticism for not fighting real boxers. And now, nearly four years into his pro career, he wants to change the narrative.

It didn't work in a February fight with Tommy Fury, Paul's most experienced foe at that point, as he suffered his first career loss. But Paul has since bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Diaz and is ready to try his hand again against a "legitimate" boxer.

According to Paul, that's how he gives himself the best chance of becoming a world champion one day - and that's apparently his No. 1 goal.

"This is me acting like a boxing prospect," Paul said in November on "The MMA Hour." "It's me building my experience in the ring, taking challenges, and staying sharp in camp. ... This is the time I need to be able to get to that level of being the best in the world.

"It's no longer about business and making all this money. ... This is about real boxing now."

Part of it, too, is that there aren't many options available for Paul at the moment. He wanted to fight Diaz again - in MMA under the PFL banner - but Diaz refused. Retired MMA star Jorge Masvidal, who said he plans to box in 2024, is still under contract with the UFC and would need permission to agree to a boxing match. Fury is in talks with Roy Jones Jr., and Mike Perry is thriving in bare-knuckle boxing.

Last month, Paul said he's not done with the celebrity-esque matchups yet, mentioning Fury, KSI, and Diaz as opponents he still wants to square off with. If you read between the lines, this signals that "The Problem Child" doesn't necessarily plan to go full steam ahead with this so-called "traditional" path as a boxing prospect from here on out.

Why is this fight on regular DAZN and not pay-per-view?

All you need to watch Paul-August is a DAZN subscription because it's the least marketable Jake Paul fight, other than maybe his first two boxing appearances.

Paul against Diaz, Silva, Woodley, and Askren were genuine pay-per-view blockbusters, garnering interest among many combat sports fans. Paul facing off with a random boxer doesn't quite have the same effect. Paul and his adviser Nakisa Bidarian, who together head the Most Valuable Promotions company, know this.

There's a lot less buzz for Paul-August than previous Paul fights, and if this was on pay-per-view, it might turn out to be quite the failure. Putting the fight on regular DAZN also, in theory, opens up the possibility of having a lot more eyeballs on Paul.

Will Paul's new strategy pay off?

Fans truly invested in Paul as a boxer will tune in Friday, especially without having to pay more than $60 to do so. But fans who are more keen on blockbuster matchups - the Paul-Diazs and the Paul-Silvas - might not bite here.

It seems unlikely the fight with August will drum up more interest in Paul's career, which, regardless of his aspirations to win a world title, is surely the main mission.

One thing is for certain, though: We're going to find out just how marketable Paul is by himself, without a solid B-side - or a second A-side like Diaz was - to back him up.

Maybe Paul is more marketable on his own than we think.

And hey, if he beats August, he can say he's beaten a real boxer - and that claim alone would carry some weight in terms of selling a larger audience next time out.

What's next for Paul, win or lose?

If Paul wins - and if the August fight is any sort of commercial success - it wouldn't be surprising to see him take on one or two more lesser-known opponents before facing the Furys and KSIs of the world again. The more experience, the better, and beating two or three real boxers will make Paul more credible.

Ultimately, though, Paul comes from the influencer world, and no matter how often the 26-year-old says he wants to become a world champ, this is about the money and fame more than anything else. A rematch with Fury, an MMA bout against Diaz, and a fight with KSI would all be too enticing for him to pass up.

If Paul loses to a nobody in August, that would be a bad look. He would all but surely go back to facing MMA fighters and influencers, but the appeal of his fights would drop off.