Jake Paul has confirmed a sanctioned eight-round heavyweight fight with Anthony Joshua at the Kaseya Center in Miami on December 19. The bout will be contested with 10oz gloves and is due to air exclusively on Netflix, taking place in the early hours of Saturday, December 20 UK time.
The match comes after Paul’s proposed meeting with Gervonta Davis was scrapped following a civil lawsuit filed against Davis. Joshua stepped in as a high-profile replacement for the event that has been billed as a major crossover attraction.
Paul framed the contest as a career-defining test against a prime world champion, saying he sees the fight as a chance to silence doubters and open the door to world-title opportunities. He described the Miami event as the moment the spotlight shifts and vowed to put Britain’s giant to sleep.
Joshua, returning to the ring after his knockout defeat by Daniel Dubois, issued a blunt warning to Paul and any opponent. He said he has recharged and is coming back with a blockbuster performance, intent on producing big numbers, securing major fights and shattering records while remaining composed. Joshua insisted fighters will increasingly take chances like this and predicted he will dominate the occasion.
Paul, 28, holds a 12-1 record and arrives off a unanimous decision victory over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June. He also fought at heavyweight last November, a points win over Mike Tyson in a high-profile encounter. Joshua’s ledger stands at 28 wins and four defeats; his career highlights include becoming a two-time world heavyweight champion, first winning a world title in 2016, then unifying belts with a win over Wladimir Klitschko, regaining them from Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 before being dethroned by Oleksandr Usyk.
Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, said plans that originally began as talk for 2026 were accelerated and credited MVP and Netflix with putting together what he called one of the biggest fights of all time. He suggested Joshua has the clear advantages on paper but noted Paul’s extraordinary self-belief and said only Paul could realistically spring a shock.
Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, said the clash brings together two of the biggest names in the sport and cautioned that while he admires Paul’s bravado, the YouTuber-turned-boxer will learn the hard way in Miami.
Tickets, undercard details and broadcast times will be confirmed closer to the date as the promotion finalises arrangements for the Netflix-exclusive global stream.