Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua will square off in one of the strangest but biggest boxing matches in recent memory tonight, as they meet in a professional fight in Miami.
That means knockouts are allowed and the result will go on each man’s pro record, as Joshua – a former two-time world heavyweight champion – faces the YouTuber-turned-boxer across eight three-minute rounds. Both fighters will be wearing standard 10oz gloves, and Joshua, 36, came under fire this week for saying: “If I can kill you, I will kill you.”
The Briton later clarified, “That’s my job, we fight. We have a licence to kill. Many people don’t understand it,” with those words coming after criticism from his compatriot Tyson Fury – as the pair remain linked to a long-awaited showdown. In any case, Paul has remained defiant; the American, 28, has even claimed to be a better boxer than “AJ”.
Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn previously denied that this heavyweight fight, which has a reported purse of $184m, is scripted, saying: “It’s illegal to have a script when there’s a professional, sanctioned contest [and] do you think I would sign up to something that might make AJ look bad or go [for multiple] rounds?”
Follow live updates from Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua and the undercard, below:
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua LIVE
- Anthony Joshua boxes Jake Paul in professional heavyweight fight
- Bout is scheduled for eight three-minute rounds; KOs allowed; standard 10oz gloves
- ‘AJ’ is former two-time heavyweight champion, Paul is influencer-turned-boxer
- Paul has 12-1 pro record including wins over Mike Tyson and ex-UFC champions
- Joshua came under fire this week for saying: ‘If I can kill you, I will kill you’
- Event streams live on Netflix, with main event after 3am on Saturday
Co-main event: Alycia Baumgardner stars against Leila Beaudoin
03:11 , Alex PattleRound four
Baumgardner is the much-faster fighter in there. She’s setting things up nicely with her jab.
She feints slowly to try to draw in Beaudoin.
Not much landing right now, for either fighter. Beaudoin hits the canvas, but she was thrown – not knocked down.
Beaudoin lands a right hook to the belt line then overshoots with a pair of hooks to the head. Slow shots.
Baumgardner is in control as we near the midway point.
Co-main event: Alycia Baumgardner stars against Leila Beaudoin
03:08 , Alex PattleRound three
Baumgardner dials it up a bit now, increasing her activity early in the round.
A clean counter right lands for the champ, nice work. And again.
Beaudoin sidesteps along the ropes, and Baumgardner uses the moment to target the body and then the head.
More grappling from Beaudoin.
After they separate, Beaudoin gets through with a nice combination – hooks to the body and head – but Baumgardner comes back with success from both hands.
Co-main event: Alycia Baumgardner stars against Leila Beaudoin
03:03 , Alex PattleRound two
Beaudoin keeps her lead hand outstretched for a while, with Baumgardner swatting at it.
Beaudoin then lets her hands go in a couple of flurries, tagging the champ more than once.
That said, Baumgardner is doing the more-consistently encouraging work, reddening the face of Beaudoin.
One-two straight down the pipe from Baumgardner now, and Beaudoin grapples in response.
Same again: a stern right from Baumgardner, and some clinching from Beaudoin.
Co-main event: Alycia Baumgardner stars against Leila Beaudoin
02:59 , Alex PattleRound one
Both women stand orthodox. Beaudoin with lots of level-change feints early on.
Sporadic jabs by both fighters so far, but little in the way of heavier offence.
Oh! And as I write that, Baumgardner times a nice right cross on a ducking Beaudoin, before following up with a left hook and another right.
Baumgardner with some educated pressure now. She’s coming forward and feinting, drawing twitches out of her challenger.
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua have hands wrapped for heavyweight fight
02:58 , Jack Rathborn
Co-main event: Alycia Baumgardner stars against Leila Beaudoin
02:55 , Alex PattleAnd we’re under way.
Co-main event: Alycia Baumgardner stars against Leila Beaudoin
02:41 , Alex PattleOne more fight before the main event...
Alycia Baumgardner defends her IBF and WBO super-featherweight titles against Leila Beaudoin.
This bout is scheduled for 12 three-minute rounds, which is very rare in women’s boxing, where 10 two-minute rounds are more common in title fights.
Paul’s promotional company, MVP, has helped certain women’s boxers to compete across the same number of rounds and length of rounds as the men, though – and that’s the case here.
Jake Paul speaks to Ariel Helwani backstage
02:32 , Alex PattlePaul: “It’s definitely a little bit different [of a feeling]. This is the toughest challenge of my career.
“It does feel a little bit different; there’s nerves, this is as big and tough as it gets – but I love rising to occasions and challenging myself.
“I’m listening to meditation music, just staying calm, keeping the heart rate low. When the bell rings, I’ll be ready to turn it up.
“It's all about frustrating him, boxing on the outside and exposing how he has a bad defence – landing my big power shots, got to hurt him and put him to sleep.
“Fifth or sixth round knockout, I'm putting him to sleep.”
Tyron Woodley reacts to KO by Anderson Silva
02:29 , Alex PattleWoodley: “Obviously I’m used to MMA, and we go out on our shield.
“I was yelling at my coach, but they made the right call [to stop the fight].
“Anderson Silva is a legend.”
Anderson Silva stops Tyron Woodley!
02:28 , Alex PattleSilva: “I have young kids to push me hard every day, and a great team in Brazil, and my amazing coach[es] here.
“To continue doing something I love, bro, this is amazing.
“I just tried to take my time, my distance. I’m just lucky – but lucky is the people training hard.”
Silva referenced kids, there; one of his sons was a sparring partner for this bout!
Silva says he wants to train to become a police officer in LA... don’t put anything past him!
He reiterates that he’ll keep fighting, anyway, though.
Anderson Silva stops Tyron Woodley!
02:21 , Alex PattleRound two
Silva comes forward, cornering Woodley in this especially large ring.
He largely fights behind the jab for a while but then lands a big rear uppercut, and Woodley goes down!!
He almost manages to stay up by leaning on Silva, but eventually he falls onto his knees...
Woodley beats the referee’s count, but the official sees something he doesn’t like while talking to the American... and waves off the bout!
Woodley is protesting somewhat, while Silva is on his knees in celebration.
It appears Woodley’s corner might have motioned to the ref to stop the fight.
Jake Paul lists Anthony Joshua 'weaknesses' and how he'll exploit them
02:21 , Jack Rathborn“I know what Anthony Joshua's weaknesses are. He has no rhythm, he has no chin, he's slow, all he has is that one-punch power,” Paul says of Joshua.
“But you don't think I'll see those punches in slow-motion. He’s walking into a trap, he thinks he’s this big, almighty guy.
“But I have sneaky shots that can put this guy out. He’s the one who should be scared, all the pressure is on him. I’ve got weapons, and he’s walking into my skill.”
Anderson Silva vs Tyron Woodley
02:19 , Alex PattleRound one
Six three-minute rounds scheduled here.
Woodley backs up the southpaw early, using jabs but surely planning to unleash the overhand right that served him so well in the UFC.
Now Silva holds the centre of the ring and feints, but the crowd wants more action and begins to boo.
A few flurries from Woodley now, but it’s not particularly neat work or landing cleanly.
More boos!
Anderson Silva vs Tyron Woodley up now
02:13 , Alex PattleJahmal Harvey outpoints Kevin Cervantes, winning every round!
The next bout will be a meeting of two of Paul’s former opponents: ex-UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley.
They’re a combined 0-3 against Paul in boxing (the YouTuber outpointed Woodley then knocked him out across two bouts, and he dropped and outpointed Silva), but their legacies are secure courtesy of their MMA careers.
Woodley was a solid welterweight champion in the UFC, and Silva is the consensus middleweight GOAT.
Brazil’s Silva is 50 years old; American Woodley is 43. This fight takes places at cruiserweight.
Here we go.
Lawrence Okolie claims Paul ‘got better of’ top heavyweight in sparring
02:06 , Alex PattleLawrence Okolie, who sparred with Paul ahead of tonight’s fight, told Boxing News: “There was three sparring partners there.
“One of them, and I won’t say who…but Jake was really getting the best of them.
“My jaw hit the ground [in shock], so you know it wasn’t me.”
The other sparring partners were Jared Anderson and Frank Sanchez for what it’s worth...
Anthony Joshua calm after entrance for Jake Paul fight
02:01 , Jack Rathborn
Joshua and the ‘forbidden options’ in very real Paul fight
01:54 , Alex PattleHere’s an excerpt from Steve Bunce’s preview of tonight’s main event, written in Miami:
“They will for a fight between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul, and they will get a fight.
“It is a real fight, just not a fair fight: Joshua will tower over Paul and have an advantage in weight of in excess of 40lb. I repeat: this is not an exhibition, fake or choreographed in any way.
“It is the exact fight Miami deserves, and it will offer sobering closure on another extreme year in the boxing business.
“This is not the first time a David vs Goliath clash has featured in this sprawling city of lights, beaches, boats and myths...”
Full article:
Anthony Joshua and the ‘forbidden options’ in very real Jake Paul fight
Anthony Joshua arrives at Kaseya Center for Jake Paul fight
01:40 , Jack RathbornAnthony Joshua has arrived at Kaseya Center and he looks dialled in.
A camouflage tracksuit, there are just two members of Team AJ alongside him, a slimmed down entourage?
Joshua already looks loose and has perhaps loosely warmed up away from the arena as he flexes and flicks out a few punches on the walk to the dressing room.
Anthony Joshua is in the building for his showdown with Jake Paul 🍿pic.twitter.com/1KLPcOVxXw
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) December 20, 2025
Cherneka Johnson outpoints bloodied Amanda Galle
01:33 , Alex Pattle
Jake Paul’s final message before Anthony Joshua clash
01:12 , Alex PattleHere’s what Paul had to say on X today, as he prepares for the toughest test of his boxing career BY FAR:
To my supporters - thank you.
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) December 19, 2025
To my haters - thank you.
To my team - thank you.
To all the fighters - thank you.
To Netflix - thank you.
To boxing - thank you.
To GOD - THANK YOU
TONIGHT WE SHOCK THE WORLD
Eddie Hearn maintains Jake Paul is 'petrified' of facing Anthony Joshua
01:06 , Jack Rathborn"The best result for Jake Paul is not getting hurt too badly, he's either going to get hurt a little bit or a lot,” Eddie Hearn tells BBC 5 Live.
“I think he's petrified. And I don't blame him. When he gets in the ring, he'll be petrified, it'll be, 'how many rounds can I survive?' He could do two rounds tonight, by holding and running.
“He can look after himself. He's just not world class, he's a decent fighter. As long as he doesn't get hit clean, he might survive two or three rounds, the moment he gets hit clean, it's all over. It could be in the first 30 seconds, or it might take two or three rounds."
Eddie Hearn confirms Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua drug testing process
01:00 , Jack RathbornEddie Hearn has clarified the drug testing process for both Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua.
"Usada testing, they've both been tested, I want to say, well over half a dozen times,” Hearn told Boxing News.
“It [to not use Vada testing] was a decision from MVP. We pushed for Vada testing, but Usada are very reputable as an agency as well. We didn't have a problem with it.
“It's not like some random agency. We were tested by Ukad as well, well over half a dozen tests."
Caroline Dubois retains title ahead of Joshua vs Paul main event
00:13 , Alex PattleCaroline Dubois gets the unanimous decision over Camila Panatta, staying unbeaten and retaining her WBC lightweight title!
99-90 on all three judges’ scorecards.
“I feel like I could’ve done more,” Dubois admits, though she says: “I’m happy I could entertain.”
She also says a fight with Alycia Baumgardner, with whom she traded barbs at this week’s press conference, is some way away right now. She hints that she needs to keep growing her profile first.
Baumgardner fights later!
Jake Paul chances against Anthony Joshua boosted by rare rule change
Friday 19 December 2025 23:30 , Jack RathbornAnthony Joshua will be forced to combat a larger ring after Jake Paul implemented a rule change to boost his chances of a stunning upset in the controversial heavyweight boxing match in Miami.
AJ, as the larger man, will be tasked with navigating a larger-than-usual ring for the average professional contest.
That’s because Paul, and his MVP Promotions, have secured a 22-by-22-foot ring for the main event and the entire undercard.
Read more about the influence of the ring size and Eddie Hearn’s thoughts below:
Jake Paul chances against Anthony Joshua boosted by rare rule change
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua live: AJ clarifies ‘kill’ comments
Friday 19 December 2025 22:24 , Alex PattleJoshua has clarified comments he made that proved controversial this week, having initially said: “If I can kill you, I will kill you.”
Tyson Fury was among those to criticise “AJ” for his words, calling his fellow Briton a “classless loser”.
But Joshua moved to clarify his comments at the final press conference for tonight’s bout in Miami.
“That’s my job, we fight,” Joshua said. “We have a licence to kill. Many people don’t understand it, but this is what my job is.”
Anthony Joshua clarifies ‘kill’ comments before Jake Paul fight
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua live: How much are they getting paid?
Friday 19 December 2025 22:13 , Alex PattleIn the days leading up to the confirmation of this bout in November, the Daily Mail reported, “Sources tell us that a gargantuan prize pot of around £140m [$184m] has been mooted,” seemingly to be split evenly between Joshua and Paul.
However, Paul later took to X (formerly Twitter) with a different figure, seemingly referencing the fight purse.
Several days after the Mail’s report was published, Paul tweeted: “Stop asking me. $267 Million.” That works out at approximately £200m.
Sports and entertainment accountant Oriana Morrison told The Independent on Tuesday: “Even if the lower figure – the rumoured $184m purse – is true, AJ could bring home $92m [£70m].
“We haven’t seen a boxing match with a purse at this level since Mayweather vs Pacquiao in 2015 or even Mayweather vs McGregor in 2017. It’s higher than any Saudi purse to date.”
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua purse: How much will each fighter get paid?
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua live: Is the fight scripted?
Friday 19 December 2025 21:40 , Alex PattleFans continue to express suspicion, despite the fact that Paul’s company Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) recently threatened legal action against those who have accused him of rigging his fights.
This month, Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn addressed the matter, saying: “Firstly, it’s illegal to have a script when there’s a professional, sanctioned contest; two, we would never be involved in an exhibition fight. Do you think I would sign up to something that might make AJ look bad or go [for multiple] rounds?
“No, we wanna go in there, do a job for boxing, which is what we should be doing, which is ironing this guy out ASAP.
“If [Paul] shows any signs of confidence in this fight, or any signs of aggressiveness, he’s gonna get ironed out as soon as he makes a move [...] We couldn’t be taking it more seriously.”
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua live: What are the rules?
Friday 19 December 2025 21:25 , Alex PattleThis will be a professional heavyweight fight, not an exhibition, meaning the result will go on each man’s record and a knockout is possible.
It will be scheduled for eight three-minute rounds, and each man will wear standard 10oz gloves.
Joshua was not allowed to tip the scales at more than 245lb at yesterday’s weigh-in.
In fact, here are the specific weights for each fighter:
Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua size difference confirmed after official weigh-in
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua live: Will boxing fans ever accept Paul?
Friday 19 December 2025 20:10 , Alex PattleWhy do you hate Jake Paul?
If you rack your brain, does a legitimate answer rattle around? Feel free to pause for thought before opening the article linked below – no one is in a rush here; Paul, like it or not, isn’t going anywhere.
And the questions above are not meant to be condescending, honestly. We’re going to try to get to the bottom of this by the time you reach the bottom of this article:
The difficult Jake Paul question that Anthony Joshua fight will finally answer
Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua live: Inside story of strangest fight ever
Friday 19 December 2025 19:55 , Alex PattleOn Tuesday 11 November, upstairs in the glassy confines of The Pelligon – an event space in Canary Wharf, London – Joshua’s promoter made a curious statement to The Independent and other members of the media.
“We will make a decision this week on Anthony’s next fight,” Eddie Hearn, the Matchroom boss, began, addressing the huddle of reporters. That, of course, was not the curious part. “If he fights this year, you probably won’t even hear about it. We would literally rock up on fight week.
“The whole point is to not have to come and do [media] – just chill out, turn up on the Wednesday or Thursday, weigh in, wrap your hands, and go and fight.” That was fascinating, but still not the point in question.
The key words were these: “Unless it’s Jake Paul.”
Read our special report on how Paul vs Joshua was made, featuring interviews with Hearn and Paul’s business partner Nakisa Bidarian:
How Paul and Joshua’s private talk helped make the weirdest fight ever
