Jake Paul will face former heavyweight champ Anthony Joshua in an eight-round boxing match on Dec. 19 in Miami, Most Valuable Promotions announced Monday.
The fight billed as “Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day” will take place at Kaseya Center and will stream live on Netflix. The fighters will wear 10-ounce gloves, the standard for heavyweight bouts.
Paul, 28, had originally planned a Nov. 14 exhibition against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis but the event was canceled after Davis was named in a civil lawsuit by an ex-girlfriend alleging battery and kidnapping.
Instead of facing the 130-pound Davis, Paul (12-1, seven knockouts) will take on Joshua, a former two-time unified heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist from Britain who has fought as high as 256 pounds.
Joshua (28-4, 25 KOs) turned 36 last month and has not fought since being knocked out in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois on Sept. 21, 2024, in London.
Paul has won his last six fights, most recently a 10-round unanimous decision against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28 in Anaheim, Calif.
“This isn’t an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day,” said Paul, the former YouTube star turned fighter, in a news release. “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 won the super-heavyweight gold medal at the London Summer Games in 2012. He won 24 of his first 25 pro fights before losing back-to-back decisions to Russia’s Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
“Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy,” Joshua said in a news release. “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.”
Additional information, including undercard bouts and co-main event details, will be announced in the coming weeks.
–Field Level Media
