Anthony Joshua knocks out Jake Paul in 6th round to win heavyweight fight

MIAMI

Anthony Joshua knocked retired Jake Paul successful the sixth circular of their heavyweight combat connected Friday (December 19, 2025) night.

The two-time heavyweight champion displayed wherefore helium is 1 of the sport’s elite punchers erstwhile helium dropped the fading Paul doubly successful the 5th round.

Sensing the YouTuber was finished, Joshua rocked him with a close uppercut aboriginal successful the sixth. The autochthonal of England past floored Paul with a operation to the head.

Although Paul (12-2) reached his feet again, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) yet crushed Paul’s upset imagination erstwhile helium dropped him a 4th clip with a close to the head. Referee Christopher Young counted Paul retired astatine 1:31 of the circular successful beforehand of a capableness assemblage of 19,600 astatine the Kaseya Center.

“It took a small spot longer than expected but the close manus yet recovered its destination," Joshua said. "Jake Paul’s done truly good tonight. I’m going to springiness him his props. He got up clip and clip again. I springiness Jake the respect for trying and trying. He came up against a existent combatant tonight.”

Tyson Fury bout?

With the victory, Joshua present tin space to reclaim the heavyweight rubric helium mislaid against Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua besides has talked astir a agelong discussed lucifer with countryman and erstwhile champion, Tyson Fury. However, Fury is presently retired pursuing consecutive losses to Usyk successful 2024.

It was Joshua’s archetypal bout since Daniel Dubois knocked him retired successful 5 rounds successful Sept. 2024.

Joshua methodically established gait against Paul from the opening circular arsenic neither combatant engaged early. Midway done the round, Paul threw an overhand close that Joshua blocked with his glove. In the closing seconds, Joshua scored with a close to the caput adjacent the ropes.

In the second, Joshua began utilizing his 6-inch scope vantage by starring with a near jab.

Paul scored with a abbreviated close to the caput aboriginal successful the fourth. Later successful the round, Paul doubly fell to the canvas awkwardly arsenic helium again attempted to chopped region during adjacent exchanges

“I gave it my all," Paul said. "Anthony is simply a large combatant and I got my (rear end) kicked but that what this athletics is each about. But I’m going to travel backmost and support winning.”

Paul weighed 216 pounds and Joshua weighed 243 for the bout.

The 28-year-old Paul, who began his vocation successful January 2020, primitively had targeted an accumulation successful Miami with lightweight champion Gervonta Davis past month. But Davis encountered ineligible problems that scrapped the event. Paul rapidly pivoted and landed the bout against Joshua successful the aforesaid venue.

Celebrities successful the assemblage included play champion Rory McIlroy, New York Mets slugger Juan Soto, Barstool Sports laminitis Dave Portnoy and retired NFL receivers Michael Irvin and Brandon Marshall.

In an undercard bout betwixt retired UFC champions, 50-year-old Anderson Silva scored a second-round TKO against Tyron Woodley.