Jake Paul has confirmed he will fight Anthony Joshua in Miami on December 19, an eight-round sanctioned heavyweight bout at the Kaseya Center in Florida. The fight will use 10oz gloves and is scheduled to take place in the early hours of Saturday, December 20 UK time. The bout will be shown globally only on Netflix.
Paul had been due to face Gervonta Davis, but that fight was cancelled after a civil lawsuit was filed against Davis, and Joshua has stepped in as a high-profile replacement. Announcing the match, Paul said: “This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day. A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title. To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry. On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep.”
Joshua, returning after his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois, warned: “Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy. I took some time out and I’m coming back with a mega show. It’s a big opportunity for me. Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected. Mark my words, you’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”
Paul, 28, is 12-1 and comes into the fight after a unanimous decision win 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 clash. Joshua has compiled 28 wins and four defeats in a career that includes becoming a two-time world heavyweight champion. He first claimed a world title in 2016, unified belts with a win over Wladimir Klitschko, regained them from Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019 and was later dethroned by Oleksandr Usyk.
Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, which represents Paul, said plans that began with talk of 2026 were accelerated and credited MVP and Netflix for creating “one of the biggest fights of all-time.” Bidarian added that Joshua has every advantage except “the delusional confidence of Jake Paul,” and that if anyone could shock the world it would be Paul. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s promoter, added: “Two of the biggest names in the sport will collide on December 19. Whilst I admire Jake’s b*****, he’s going to find out the hard way in Miami.”