Anthony Joshua has been backed to deliver a punishing defeat to Jake Paul, with UFC legend Jorge Masvidal claiming the boxing world wants to see the YouTuber-turned-fighter suffer a brutal knockout. The bout, set for December 19 in Miami, comes after Paul's controversial win over a 59-year-old Mike Tyson last year.
Paul, 28, holds a 12-1 professional record, with wins over former UFC stars like Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz. His sole loss came against Tommy Fury in 2023. The fight against Tyson drew widespread criticism, with Tyson later admitting he could not remember parts of the contest.
“If AJ goes out there and executes Jake Paul in under a minute, it will add clout and numerous more bags. Everybody wants to see Jake get whooped, especially for what he did to Mike Tyson,” Masvidal told Thunderpick. He added that Joshua would become a “folklore hero” if he wins decisively.
Joshua, the British former heavyweight champion, has vowed to knock out Paul. “It's not a win for me if I just beat him; I need to knock him out. I'm going to break his face and break his body,” he said. The fight will be streamed live on Netflix, with a UK start time of around 4am.
