The world of boxing was treated to a spectacle on December 19, 2025, as Anthony Joshua made a thunderous return to the ring, knocking out Jake Paul in the sixth round of their much-anticipated heavyweight bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The fight, streamed live to millions on Netflix, delivered a dramatic narrative full of grit, heart, and, ultimately, a brutal finish that left fans and critics alike buzzing.
Joshua, the former unified heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, entered the ring after a 15-month layoff, his last appearance being a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024 for the IBF heavyweight title. Despite the long absence, Joshua (now 29-4, 26 KOs) wasted no time reasserting his dominance in the division. Across the ring stood Jake Paul, the YouTuber-turned-boxer whose improbable rise in the sport had already upended expectations and drawn massive audiences. Paul, with a record of 12-2 and 7 KOs, had previously stunned the world by defeating Mike Tyson in a record-breaking Netflix event in November 2024.
The buildup to this fight was electric. With celebrities like Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria, comedian Dave Chappelle, Rory McIlroy, and a host of athletes and entertainers in attendance, the atmosphere at the Kaseya Center was nothing short of electric. Even before the first bell, Chappelle took the opportunity to announce his new stand-up special, "The Unstoppable," set to debut on Netflix after the fight—a testament to the crossover appeal of the event.
As the fighters made their ring walks—Joshua first, despite his championship pedigree, as Paul was considered the A-side—the tension was palpable. The opening rounds saw Paul display impressive lateral movement, frustrating Joshua and making him miss with several right hands. Paul’s jab found its mark on occasion, and he frequently clinched and smothered Joshua’s attacks, even drawing a warning from referee Chris Young in the fourth round. "The fans ain’t paying to see this crap," Young admonished, as the scrappy nature of the fight drew both boos and cheers from the crowd.
Joshua, however, began to find his rhythm as the fight progressed. The fifth round was particularly telling. Paul, already showing signs of fatigue from handling Joshua’s weight and power, was dropped late in the frame after a barrage of shots forced him to take a knee. He was floored again at the two-minute mark by another thunderous right hand, but managed to survive the round, albeit on wobbly legs.
The sixth round would be Paul’s undoing. Joshua opened with a crisp right hand-left hook combination, sending Paul down for a third time. Sensing the end was near, Joshua pressed forward, driving Paul into a corner and unleashing a brutal right hand that landed flush on the chin. Paul crumpled to the canvas, unable to beat the count. The official time of the knockout was 1:31 of Round 6. In the aftermath, it was revealed that Paul had suffered a double broken jaw and was hospitalized for treatment.
Despite the punishing defeat, Paul remained in surprisingly good spirits. "I think my jaw is broken, by the way. It’s definitely broken. That was good. Nice little ass whopping from one of the best to ever do it. I love this s***, and I’m going to come back and get a world championship belt at some point," Paul said after the fight. He later posted on X, "Jaw broken. Heart and balls in tact. Time to rest, recover and return to Cruiserweight." Paul also joked about fighting Canelo Alvarez in 10 days, a nod to his unrelenting ambition and showmanship.
Joshua, for his part, was candid about his performance. "It wasn’t the best performance—it wasn’t the best," he admitted. "The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down, and hurt him. That has been the request leading up [to the fight] and that’s what was on my mind. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally found the destination." Joshua went on to praise Paul’s resilience: "Now, Jake Paul—he’s done really well tonight. I want to give him his props. He got up time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept on trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that. Anyone who laces up these gloves, we always say, we give them their respect. We have to give Jake his respect for trying and trying and trying. Well done, but he came up against a real fighter tonight that’s had a 15-month layoff. We shook off the cobwebs and I can’t wait to roll into 2026."
Joshua didn’t stop there. In his post-fight interview, he issued a challenge to fellow British heavyweight Tyson Fury, calling for a blockbuster showdown in September 2026. "If Tyson Fury’s as serious as he thinks he is, and he wants to put that on his Twitter fingers and put on some gloves and come and fight one of the realest fighters out there that will take on any challenge—step in the ring with me next if you’re a real bad boy. Don’t do all that talking. 'AJ this, AJ that.' Let’s see you in the ring and you talk with your fists." Uncrowned has reported that negotiations for this mega-fight are already underway.
The event itself set a new record for the highest-grossing boxing gate in the history of the Kaseya Center, according to fight promoter Most Valuable Promotions. Netflix’s foray into live sports continues to pay dividends, with this fight following the massive success of the Paul-Tyson bout, which drew an estimated 108 million live viewers globally. As Netflix expands its sports portfolio—including upcoming MLB games and exclusive NFL doubleheaders—the streamer’s role in reshaping sports broadcasting is undeniable.
The undercard provided plenty of entertainment as well. Anderson Silva dispatched Tyron Woodley via a second-round TKO, while Jahmal Harvey cruised to a unanimous decision victory over Kevin Cervantes. On the prelims, Yokasta Valle retained her WBC minimumweight championship with a majority decision over Yadira Bustillos, and Avious Griffin scored a first-round knockout of Justin Cardona.
For Jake Paul, the night ended in defeat but not in despair. His journey from social media stardom to boxing’s biggest stages has been nothing short of remarkable. Despite the setback, Paul’s resolve remains firm: "Oh yeah for sure [I’m going to keep fighting]. We’re going to heal the broken jaw, come back and fight people my weight—go for the cruiserweight world title. I’m going to take a little break. I’ve been going hard for six years, so I’m going to take some time off."
As the dust settles in Miami, the boxing world turns its eyes to what comes next—Joshua’s potential clash with Fury, Paul’s recovery and return, and Netflix’s growing influence in the world of live sports. One thing’s for sure: nights like this remind us why boxing remains one of the most compelling dramas in all of sports.
