Anthony Joshua defeats Jake Paul by knockout

Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight fight Friday night.

The two-time heavyweight champion showed why he is one of the sport’s elite punchers when he dropped the fading Paul twice in the fifth round.

Sensing the YouTuber was done, Joshua rocked him with a right uppercut early in the sixth. The England native then floored Paul with a combination to the head.

Although Paul (12-2) got back to his feet, Joshua (29-4, 26 KO) finally shattered Paul’s shattered dream when he dropped him a fourth time with a right to the head. Referee Christopher Young sent Paul out at 1:31 of the round in front of a packed house of 19,600 at the Kaseya Center.

Before the fight, Joshua told CBS Sports that he would consider it “a failure” if the match lasted more than one round.

But his post-match comments were more tempered.

“Jake Paul did really well tonight,” Joshua said, according to CBS Sports. “I want to give him props. He stood up again and again. It was tough for him in there, but he kept trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that.”

With this victory, Joshua can now attempt to reclaim the heavyweight title he lost to Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua also spoke about a long-discussed match with his compatriot and former champion, Tyson Fury. However, Fury is currently retired after back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2024.

It was Joshua’s first fight since Daniel Dubois knocked him out in five rounds in September 2024.

Joshua methodically set the pace against Paul from the first round, with neither fighter engaging early. Midway through the round, Paul threw a forehand that Joshua blocked with his glove. In the final seconds, Joshua scored with a right to the head near the ropes.

In the second, Joshua began to use his 6-inch advantage by leading with a left jab.

Paul scored with a short right to the head early in the fourth. Later in the round, Paul fell awkwardly to the canvas twice as he again attempted to close the distance in close exchanges.

Paul weighed in at 216 pounds and Joshua weighed in at 243 for the fight.

In an article by Truth Social, President Trump said he watched the fight while returning to Washington from a rally in North Carolina.

“On the plane, I was just able to watch Jake Paul fight, and he did very well, including showing GREAT Courage against a very talented and imposing Anthony Joshua,” Mr. Trump wrote. “Fantastic entertainment, but kudos to Jake for his stamina and, frankly, ability against a much bigger man!”

Paul, 28, who began his career in January 2020, had initially targeted an exhibition in Miami with lightweight champion Gervonta Davis last month. But Davis ran into legal issues that canceled the event. Paul quickly pivoted and landed the fight against Joshua in the same spot.

Celebrities in the crowd included golf champion Rory McIlroy, New York Mets slugger Juan Soto, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and retired NFL wide receivers Michael Irvin and Brandon Marshall.

In an undercard fight between retired UFC champions, Anderson Silva, 50, scored a second-round TKO over Tyron Woodley.