JAKE PAUL said his dream fight against one of boxing's biggest superstars is "closer" than people think.
The YouTuber-turned boxer suffered defeat for the first time in February, losing a split-decision to Tommy Fury in Saudi Arabia.
But he bounced back with victory over MMA veteran Nate Diaz, 38, over ten rounds in August.
Now, Paul returns on December 15 against little-known professional boxer Andre August, who holds a record of 10-1-1.
The American insisted the bout marks the start of his ambitious road to challenging for a world title.
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And also in his vision is four-division champion Canelo Alvarez, 33, who Paul, 26, believes he is closing in on an unlikely bout with.
He said on The MMA Hour: “Canelo has shown and said in interviews, he’s expressed interest in it. So, I think we’re closer than we think.
"And it’s bizarre to even be saying that now when like three years or two years ago saying that, I believed it from day one but everyone else was like, 'Who the f*** is this kid? Shut this kid up.'
"But now, it's like pretty real."
Canelo has spoken out to confirm a fight with Paul is something he would consider once his career at the top of boxing is over.
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He said on The Breakfast Club: "Yeah maybe, but not right now.
"For me, not right now because I'm chasing other things in my career but you never know, maybe later."
Paul believes fighting boxers such as Fury, 24, and August, 35, will help him build towards a bout with Canelo.
And he admitted the Mexican has overtaken UFC icon Conor McGregor, 34, as his "dream" opponent.
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Paul said: "Yeah for sure, it definitely has. I think the path that I'm on now tees me up in the future to fight Canelo.
"It's even showing him that I can go ten or 12 rounds with you and I've done that with real legitimate pro boxers and beat them.
"So when I beat these guys in the year or two to come and continue to raise the level of competition, I think me versus Canelo becomes a really interesting fight."
