TDLR
- Jake Paul reports his nose is “getting more crooked” from sparring with heavyweights including Frank Sánchez, Lawrence Okolie, and Jared Anderson
- The YouTuber-turned-boxer faces Anthony Joshua on December 19 at Miami’s Kaseya Center in an eight-round bout streaming on Netflix
- Former champion Bermane Stiverne claimed the fight might be cancelled due to Paul’s injuries, but Paul and others dismissed the rumors
- MVP Promotions paid over $30 million to secure Joshua for the fight after negotiations with Gervonta Davis fell through
- Paul predicts he will finish Joshua before the sixth round despite visible injury concerns heading into fight week
Sources: AS | EssentiallySports | EssentiallySports
Jake Paul revealed he is dealing with a nose injury just one week before his scheduled boxing match against former two-time world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. The 28-year-old YouTuber-turned-fighter said his injury has worsened during sparring sessions in preparation for the December 19 bout in Miami.
“It’s getting more crooked, brother,” Paul said during a Wednesday appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show.” “I’m not gonna lie. Sparring the heavyweights, my nose has moved a couple millimeters this camp.”
Paul did not confirm whether his nose is broken, but it appeared visibly off-center during the interview. He pointed to Cuban heavyweight Frank Sánchez as one of the sparring partners who caused damage.
“A guy by the name of Frank Sanchez, he definitely cracked it a bit, so it definitely has a slight little something in there,” Paul said. “But yeah, man, it’s bad. Look at that.”
High-Level Sparring Partners Take Physical Toll
Paul has been training with several top heavyweight boxers to prepare for Joshua. His sparring partners have included Lawrence Okolie, Jared Anderson, and Sánchez, all of whom significantly outweigh the former social media star.
The eight-round fight billed as “Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day” will take place at Kaseya Center and stream live on Netflix. The fighters will wear 10-ounce gloves.
Jake Paul reveals new sparring injury that could impact his game plan for Anthony Joshua https://t.co/2EkAahxGaK pic.twitter.com/V11hqDwxiL
— Bloody Elbow (@BloodyElbow) December 12, 2025
Joshua, 36, holds a record of 28-4 with 25 knockouts. He has not fought since being knocked out in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois on September 21, 2024, in London.
Paul enters the fight with a record of 12-1 and seven knockouts. He has won his last six fights, most recently a 10-round unanimous decision against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 28 in Anaheim, California.
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 Ukraine’s Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022.
Cancellation Rumors Surface and Get Dismissed
Earlier this week, former heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne claimed the fight might be cancelled. Stiverne said he heard Paul had suffered an injury during sparring and that the camp was in panic mode.
Paul quickly dismissed the rumors and insisted the fight would proceed as scheduled. MMA analyst Chael Sonnen also called Stiverne’s claims reckless and baseless.
“I don’t think [Joshua] can knock me out because he’s not going to be able to line up his shots properly to be able to land the hard punch,” Paul said. He predicted he would finish Joshua before the sixth round.
We need to stop framing Jake Paul as a ‘former Disney Star’ or a ‘YouTuber’.
He is a boxer 🥊 pic.twitter.com/rLYUqVE3oi
— Dev Sahni (@devsahni) December 12, 2025
Paul attempted to secure a fight with Gervonta Davis after his June victory. Those negotiations collapsed after domestic violence allegations against Davis surfaced.
According to promoter Eddie Hearn in an interview with Forbes, Paul and his company MVP Promotions paid more than $30 million to convince Joshua to accept the fight. Netflix will stream the card from Miami’s Kaseya Center, hoping to match the viewership numbers from Paul’s previous fight against Mike Tyson.
Paul also sparked confusion this week when he teased a major announcement. Many believed he was backing out of the fight, but he was actually announcing the signing of Caroline Dubois to MVP Promotions.
Dubois is the sister of Daniel Dubois, who knocked out Joshua in September 2024. The December 19 fight will determine whether Paul can compete at the heavyweight level against a former unified champion.
