Will Jake Paul still fight Tommy Fury?

Fury was forced to withdraw from the pair’s scheduled clash in December due to a broken rib and chest infection

Jake Paul’s fight against Tommy Fury fell through earlier this month, two weeks before it was set to take place.

YouTube star Paul was scheduled to box Fury – half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson – in Tampa, Florida on 18 December, but Fury was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a broken rib and chest infection.

Former UFC champion Tyron Woodley stepped in for Fury, having already faced Paul in August, when he lost to his fellow American via split decision.

That fight marked 39-year-old Woodley’s professional boxing debut, while Paul is 4-0 with knockout wins over fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, and former MMA champion Ben Askren.

Meanwhile, Fury is 7-0 as a professional, and the Briton is still seeking a fight with Paul, 24.

After withdrawing from the December bout, 22-year-old Fury said: “All my focus is on right now is getting a new fight date set and recovering. That’s all I can do right now.

“I can’t do anything else apart from get my body right as soon as possible and look for a new fight date with Jake Paul.

“There is no other fight that I want out there, that’s the fight that I want next. I’m just gonna recover now and hopefully we can work out a new date for next year.”

Fury, who made his name as a contestant on reality TV show Love Island, was receiving help from half-brother Tyson during his training camp for the Paul clash.

WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury (AFP via Getty Images)

Paul even suggested that the world heavyweight champion might have injured Tommy.

Referring to footage that shows Tyson throwing a medicine ball into his younger brother’s mid-section, Paul told The MMA Hour: “It is very possible that could break a rib for sure.

“When I do that drill we take precautions and are careful, because you hear stories of fighters getting injured while trying to work on their abs.”

As well as suffering a broken rib, Fury cited a chest infection for his withdrawal.

The Briton said: “I was in my sparring sessions, pad-work sessions – whatever it may be – just not being able to breathe, and coughing up huge amounts of phlegm all the time.

“It led me to sleepless nights, and that went on for about four weeks, because I had the mindset of ‘I’m gonna keep training, I’m gonna get through this, I’m gonna have the fight no matter what.’

“Four weeks passed and we decided to have a sparring session, and I took a little clip to the body. Because my body was so weak due to the virus inside of me, I instantly knew something wasn’t right.

“I was throwing up from the pain, I was doubled over. I literally got my bag and went straight to the hospital, straight for an MRI scan. I got the results back the same day, and the results uncovered that I had a clean break in my rib and multiple fractures.”