TLDR
- Jake Paul fights Anthony Joshua Friday at Kaseya Center in Miami, streaming on Netflix
- Joshua is a massive -1300 favorite while Paul enters as a +700 underdog
- Paul says Joshua will ‘have to kill me to stop me’ and predicts biggest upset in boxing history
- Joshua plans to ‘break Paul’s soul’ and admits fight is ‘100 percent’ a money grab
- Joshua holds a 28-4 record with Olympic gold while Paul is 12-1 against lesser opposition
Jake Paul will face his toughest opponent yet when he steps into the ring against former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua on Friday night. The eight-round heavyweight boxing match takes place at Kaseya Center in Miami and streams live on Netflix.
According to FanDuel, Joshua enters as a massive -1300 favorite while Paul sits as a +700 underdog. The betting odds reflect the enormous gap in experience and credentials between the two fighters.
Paul holds a 12-1 record but has never faced anyone close to Joshua’s level. Joshua brings a 28-4 record and Olympic gold medal from 2012 to the bout.
Paul Embraces Underdog Role
The YouTuber-turned-boxer says this fight keeps him up at night.
“This fight scares me. It plays in my mind at night. It’s hard to sleep,” Paul said on his YouTube channel.
Paul believes beating Joshua would surpass James “Buster” Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson in 1990, which is widely considered boxing’s greatest upset. “This is going to be the biggest upset in the sport of boxing,” Paul declared.
Despite the fear, Paul says he’s prepared to go to extreme lengths. “He’s going to have to kill me to stop me, and I’m ready to die,” Paul stated.
Paul also dismissed Joshua’s boxing style as unimpressive. “I see Anthony Joshua as a very basic fighter,” Paul said, though he acknowledged this would be his most challenging fight to date.
Not long now. Me versus Anthony “The Giant” Joshua. Hahahaha
8 x 3 minute rounds. 10oz gloves. Professional heavyweight bout. Miami.#JakeJoshua pic.twitter.com/UKCDD93y18
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) December 10, 2025
Joshua Targets Mental Breakdown
Joshua isn’t just looking for a win. He wants to destroy Paul both physically and mentally.
“I think Jake is someone where I’ve got to beat him mentally, because he’s a mental person,” Joshua said during a face-to-face media event. “If I can break his soul, and I can break his mentality, then I’ve broken Jake.”
Joshua explained his strategy involves watching for signs of weakness during the fight. “You can just see a small glimmer of someone that’s just about to start fading, and then you just keep exploiting that,” he said.
The British heavyweight champion admitted the fight is primarily about money. “It’s always been a money grab, 100 percent,” Joshua said honestly.
Joshua’s most recent fight was a loss to Daniel Dubois for the IBF heavyweight title in September 2024. Fighting Paul represents a major step down in competition for the former champion.
Paul was originally scheduled to face Gervonta Davis in November. However, a civil allegation of domestic violence against Davis led Most Valuable Promotions to cancel that event, opening the door for Joshua to step in.
Despite calling it a cash grab, Joshua gave Paul credit for his commitment to boxing. “I see someone who is trying to perfect his skills, someone who is trying to perfect his boxing skills,” Joshua said.
Joshua acknowledged Paul has taken the difficult path of learning technical boxing rather than just brawling.
“Jake’s trying to become a boxer, and I respect it,” Joshua said.
The fight streams Friday night on Netflix and is expected to be one of the biggest combat sports events of the year.
