It took a little longer than expected, but the favorite came out on top in Miami.
Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round in their much-hyped bout at Kaseya Center in Miami.
There was plenty of dancing around and little offense through the first four rounds, but in the fifth, Joshua finally knocked down Paul twice before knocking him down once more in the sixth.
Then came the final knockout, as Joshua handed YouTuber his second loss in the ring.
Joshua (29-4, 26 knockouts) gave Paul credit for his performance and survival ability following the fight in an in-ring interview on Netflix with Ariel Helwani.
Joshua acknowledged that the performance wasn’t his best.
“Jake Paul did really well and he deserves his props,” Joshua said. “It takes a real man to do that and he deserves respect for trying and trying and trying. But he came up against a real fighter tonight
Paul also noted that he “won in every single way,” and said in the ring afterward that his jaw is “definitely broken.”
“I’m feeling good. That was fun. I love this sport and I had a blast,” Paul said in the post-match interview.
“Anthony is a great fighter. I got my ass beat but that’s what this sport is all about. This sport has helped me so much. I think my jaw is broken, by the way.”
Heading into the bout, Paul was roughly an 8-to-1 underdog, making him much less of a long shot than when Joshua opened as a -5000 favorite when the fight was first announced in November.
The win gives Joshua his first victory since knocking out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in February of 2024.
Now 29-4 with 26 knockouts, Joshua is expected to have a quick return to the ring in 2026, which could set up a rumored megafight with fellow former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who retired in 2025.
The loss drops Paul to 12-2 with seven knockouts.
The day before the bout, Paul weighed in at 216.5 pounds, the lowest mark for any Joshua opponent.
Joshua weighed in at 243.5 pounds, his lightest since September 2021.
