Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in their heavyweight boxing bout on Friday night, but not before both men were savaged by the referee for the lack of action in the fight.

As is standard practice, Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua have been suspended from boxing after the pair went head-to-head at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

YouTube personality Paul, who boasted a 12-1 record with seven knockouts coming into the eight-round contest, squared off against former heavyweight champion Joshua on Friday night in one of the most highly anticipated fights in recent times.

“The Problem Child” was scheduled to face Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in an exhibition on November 14 but the fight was cancelled after allegations of abuse were made against the former three-division world champion.

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Paul was supremely confident coming into the fight with Joshua. “I don’t think he can knock me out because he’s not going to be able to line up his shots properly to land the hard punch,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show.

He added: “I think it’s going to be a very tough fight for multiple rounds, but then, when I figure out his pacing, his style, his speed, his footwork, he’s going to get a little bit tired trying to chase me around, and then I’m going to set up the shot.”

Paul claimed he would stop Joshua in the fifth or sixth round but the latter secured victory with a sixth-round knockout.

Regardless of how the fight played out, both men were always going to be hit with a suspension from boxing.

The Florida Athletic Commission sanctions professional boxing matches in Florida but carries rules from the Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports.

Therefore, both Paul and Joshua will be assessed by a physician and required to enter a mandatory seven-day resting period upon conclusion of the fight, with day one beginning on the first day after Friday’s heavyweight bout.

When he was knocked out by Paul in Florida in 2024, former MMA fighter Mike Perry was handed a 60-day medical suspension by the commission.

A technical knockout typically results in an automatic 30-day suspension, preventing a fighter from any type of boxing activity for that period.

After Paul beat Mike Tyson in a bout that went the distance in November 2024, the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations demanded that both fighters be suspended for 24 days – three days for every round they fought.

The regulations are enforced to prioritise the health of fighters and ensure they are given adequate time to recover.

The much-anticipated fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul delivered excitement at the Kaseya Center in Miami on December 19, 2025. Joshua, two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, faced Paul, the YouTube sensation turned professional boxer, in a bout streamed on Netflix.

Round-by-Round Highlights

Round 1: Paul moved cautiously, staying at distance and trying to land body shots. Joshua’s jabs and counters kept him in control. The opening round saw minimal action but set the tone for Joshua’s strategy.

Round 2: Joshua’s precision became evident as he landed clean jabs and a left hook, wobbing Paul. Clinches occurred, but Joshua’s timing dominated the exchanges.

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Round 3: Paul attempted aggressive in-fighting and clinching, but Joshua’s counters and combinations kept him ahead. Paul’s mobility helped him survive the round, though he struggled to land significant shots.

Round 4: Both fighters exchanged punches in the center, with Joshua landing effective jabs and uppercuts. Paul’s occasional clinches and rolls slowed momentum, but Joshua’s clean strikes kept him in control.

Round 5: Joshua opened up with powerful combinations to the body and head. Paul took a knee multiple times to recover, and a controversial knockdown was called. Joshua continued to pressure and dominate exchanges.

Round 6: Joshua’s precision and power overwhelmed Paul. After multiple knockdowns and relentless attacks, the referee stopped the fight at 1:31, declaring Anthony Joshua the winner via KO.

Joshua’s victory showcased his experience, timing, and power, ending Paul’s six-fight winning streak and reinforcing his heavyweight dominance.

Official Result: Anthony Joshua def. Jake Paul via KO (Round 6, 1:31)

Watch the highlights below:

Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua had some much hype coming into their Netflix boxing fight Friday night in Miami, Florida.

However, fans in attendance and around the world were highly disappointed with the showing when the two heavyweight stars stepped into the ring.

Anthony Joshua came away with a sixth-round knockout of Paul, which was certainly longer than the Englishman wanted the fight to go. Prior to stepping into the ring, Joshua maintained that anything other than a first-round win would be a disappointment.

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Jake Paul was seen dancing around the ring for most of the night despite landing a few quality jabs. His showmanship and dodging ability largely contributed to the YouTube star lasting as long as he did.

Joshua was quick to thank the crowd after the fight before stating that his goal was to “hurt Jake Paul.” The two-time heavyweight champion stayed gracious with his victory and called out Tyson Fury after the victory.

For the first time in the ring in over 15 months, Anthony Joshua bounced back from his shocking loss to Daniel Dubois. The fight marked the second time Joshua has competed on American soil after previously losing to Andy Ruiz years ago.

Meanwhile, Paul picks up his second professional loss after previously losing to Tommy Fury. The younger Paul brother surprised fans by being gracious in defeat, however, he did state he will be a champion in the future.

Jake Paul talked a big game before his bout with Anthony Joshua on Friday, but his controversial approach left fans frustrated and even the announcing team angry at times.

Paul lost on a sixth-round knockout, but not before fans grew upset at several falls that Paul took in what some saw as an attempt to extend the match. The former YouTube star turned boxer came into the fight as a big underdog and was able to make it six rounds against the former Olympic champion, but not before sparking some major backlash among fans.

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Jake Paul Called Out for ‘Putrid’ Approach

Paul’s approach sparked a big backlash, with many fans taking to social media to mock his several falls.

Announcers for the Netflix bout called out Paul for his “putrid” approach, throwing fewer than 10 punches in several rounds. Paul fell to the canvas several times while grappling with Anthony in the fourth round, including one time when he appeared to take a knee to the groin and took several moments to return to the bout.

Paul took two falls in the fifth round, withstanding a flurry of punches just before the bell to end the round. He went down again early in the sixth round, then again with 1:33 remaining when the fight was stopped.

Paul had plenty of confidence before the bout, saying in a pre-fight press conference that he believed he was a better fighter than the Olympic gold medalist.

“On paper, the cards are stacked against me but really, in terms of boxing, I’m a better boxer than AJ which is like a hilarious thing to say but he’s got two left feet, he’s stiff,” Paul told reporters, via Bloody Elbow.

The former social media star turned boxer went on to mock Joshua, bringing his typical theatrics to the press conference.

“If I was his coach I would put him in a dance class first, before trying to box,” Paul said. “And really, just bringing in the right sparring partners to help me prepare so that I can get looks that are similar to him and that’s really just been the strategy but I’m gonna go in there and display all my skills.”

Paul told ESPN that he believed he would pull off the upset.

“I’ve studied David and Goliath going into this fight,” Paul said. “There’s a split-second moment where Goliath draws back his arrow, and that’s when David can hit him. I believe the same thing will happen here. There’s going to be a moment when Joshua is exposed, and I know I have the power to be able to beat him.”

Sanctioned Fight Sparked Controversy

Even before Paul and Anthony stepped into the ring on Friday, their fight was generating controversy. ESPN’s Mark Kriegel wrote that it was a “disgrace” that the Florida State Athletic Commission sanctioned the fight despite the massive disparities in size and experience between the fighters.

He suggested that it would have never been sanctioned had Paul been a “lesser-known 12-1 cruiserweight and not a promoter.”

“I’m not a prude here. Nor a hater,” Kriegel wrote. “I don’t expect anyone to get seriously hurt, especially not when the promoter and fighter are one and the same. My bet’s on a muffled affair in the name of commerce. But there’s still that terrible chance, and now (thank you, Florida), a terrible precedent.”

New footage of Anthony Joshua in training for this month’s fight against Jake Paul has become a big talking point online, with fans commenting on his lean physique.

For the first time in his career, Joshua has a strict contracted weight limit ahead of a professional bout.

The two-time heavyweight world champion, who weighed just over 252lbs in his last bout against Daniel Dubois last year, cannot weigh more than 245lbs for the eight-round contest on December 19.

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It must be noted that there is no restriction on how much weight Joshua can add on after the official weigh-in.

Earlier this month, AJ responded to concerns with an update regarding his weight on social media. “They must have forgot,” he said alongside a video of himself stepping on the scales.

“I’m used to dealing with big weights & scales. 243.8lbs.”

With just over a week until fight night, a training clip of Joshua has emerged, where he can be seen practising his coordination and reflexes by punching a tennis ball attached to a cap.

Here’s how fans on social media have reacted to the video.

One said: “Nah wait Jake actually might cook him he looks so skinny,” and a second commented: “Damn he looks tiny here.”

A third wrote: “Damn he looks tiny here,” and a fourth said: “WTF he looks so skinny”

A fifth added: “Probably the slimmest i’ve seen him, he doesn’t need to be heavy v Jake Paul tbh.”

Ahead of the contest in Miami, promoter Eddie Hearn has given an insight into Joshua’s condition.

“He’s really dialled in as if he was fighting an elite heavyweight,” Hearn told talkSPORT. “The one thing he always does is take everything seriously and he is doing so for this, he’s in tremendous shape.

“The difference is in this fight is he has to make a specific weight which is a lot lighter than he would be going into this fight. But he’s on track and is in Miami with not long to go until the fight.

“I can’t believe what’s about to happen, to be honest.”

He added: “Yeah, he’s ready to go and do a job on him, and I just can’t believe we’ve signed the contract to fight him.”

Anthony Joshua has been warned he must be switched on to avoid an embarrassing defeat by Jake Paul.

Joshua takes on Paul next Friday in a sanctioned heavyweight contest which has sparked controversy given the disparity in ability between the ex-world champion and the YouTuber. Joshua has not fought since he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois at Wembley 15 months ago.

He sees his meeting with Paul as a tune-up for a serious return to action in Saudi Arabia in February before a showdown with long-time rival Tyson Fury next September. Social media star Paul, meanwhile, has built a career by fighting ex-MMA stars and last year took on a 58-year-old Mike Tyson.

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The boxing world expects Joshua to stop Paul within two rounds, but renowned trainer Robert Garcia, who coached Joshua for a spell, warned the Brit he must be focused. “I think he should knock the s*** out of Jake Paul but f***, in boxing you never know man … It’s not like something I’m making up,” he told ES News. “People have already questioned Anthony’s head, his mind. People have questioned that, but if it’s a solid Anthony, a confident Anthony, he’s got to knock the s**t out of [Jake Paul].”

Joshua will be trained by coaches from former undisputed world champion Oleksandr Usyk’s camp after deciding to leave trainer Ben Davison. And he said: “I was invited to train with Team Usyk. He’s one of the best in the world, and it’s not all down to him. It’s also down to the team that’s around him, so I’ve linked up with them and got a great insight into someone who has achieved so much. It’s been a great experience and it’s very challenging.”

Joshua, who was twice outpointed by Usyk in 2021 and 2022, also shrugged off criticism of the contest. “I don’t address people that are against me,” he added. “People say, ‘what do you feel about negative comments?’ Why am I worried about negative comments? I just focus on the people who believe in me and support me. I have nothing to say to those people.

“You’ve got to give credit to Jake and his team, they reached out to me and it was a great opportunity for me to fight. I wanted to take 12 months out of the game, I did that and then it was time to get back to work.

“I was planning on fighting anyway and I thought, ‘why not?’ It’s great, it’s massive, it’s colossal, it’s bringing big news. We’re bringing marketability together with ability, those two worlds collide.”