Joshua Set for December Showdown Against YouTube Star Paul
Former heavyweight world champion Anthony Joshua is set to face YouTube star-turned-boxer Jake Paul in a professional fight on 19 December.
Joshua, 36, a two-time unified heavyweight champion, will meet the 28-year-old American at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The eight-round bout will be streamed live on Netflix.
The matchup comes after Paul’s planned exhibition fight with Gervonta Davis was cancelled earlier this month due to a lawsuit filed against Davis by his ex-girlfriend.
“This isn’t an AI simulation — this is Judgment Day,” Paul declared.
“When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears and no one will be able to deny me a world-title shot. To all my haters, this is what you asked for.”
Rumours linking Joshua to a fight with Paul were initially dismissed, but the Briton will now return to action for the first time since his knockout loss to then-IBF champion Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
“Like it or not, I’m here to bring huge numbers, massive events, and break records while staying cool and calm,” Joshua said. “Mark my words — more fighters will take these kinds of opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”
Paul first rose to fame through YouTube, where he has nearly 21 million subscribers. In recent years he has focused on boxing, mostly competing at cruiserweight around 200 lbs.
He weighed in at 227.5 lbs for his 2024 exhibition win over former world champion Mike Tyson — a fight that drew more than 108 million viewers. Paul then defeated former world middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, earning the No.14 spot in the WBA cruiserweight rankings.
Paul holds a 12–1 record with seven knockouts but has only boxed 70 professional rounds since debuting in 2020.
Joshua, with vastly more experience, boasts a 28–4 record with 25 knockouts and has fought over 160 professional rounds in his 12-year career.
“It’s a remarkable day,” said Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, in an interview with Sky Sports.
“Jake came up with this idea back in March and said, ‘I want to fight Anthony Joshua.’ People laughed. By July, when asked if this could happen, the plan was originally for 2026. But plans changed — and Jake said, ‘I want Joshua now.’”