Anthony Joshua Knocks Out Jake Paul in Controversial Miami Bout

ISLAMABAD: Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua defeated YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout in their Netflix-backed fight at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The highly publicized bout reportedly saw both fighters share a massive purse of $184 million.

Despite a significant size and experience advantage—Joshua standing 6ft 6in compared to Paul’s 6ft 1in—the fight proved harder than expected for the former world champion. Joshua’s superior power and size eventually dominated in the later stages of the eight-round contest. Paul repeatedly dropped to the canvas and grappled at Joshua’s legs, prompting referee Christopher Young to warn, “The fans did not pay to see this crap.”

Joshua knocked Paul down twice in the fifth round before delivering a decisive right-hand knockout in the sixth. “It wasn’t the best performance, but the end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him,” Joshua admitted after the fight. He also praised Paul’s resilience: “I want to give him his props—he got up time and time again.”

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Jake Paul, bloodied from the final blow, confirmed that he suffered a double jaw fracture but expressed satisfaction with his performance. “I gave it my all… with better cardio, I could have kept fighting. But he hits really hard,” Paul said.

The fight comes over a year after Paul faced 58-year-old Mike Tyson in a similarly criticized Netflix bout. Joshua, who had been inactive for 15 months, landed 48 of 146 punches compared to Paul’s 16.

Looking ahead, Joshua is already setting his sights on a potential blockbuster bout against fellow former world champion Tyson Fury in 2026. “We shook off the cobwebs, and I can’t wait to roll into 2026,” Joshua said. “If Tyson Fury is as serious as he thinks he is, let’s put on some gloves and fight.”