For some reason, Jake Paul is fighting Anthony Joshua on Friday night.
The unlikely match-up sees Paul, a former Youtube content creator turned boxer, taking on his first real challenge in years. Yes, Paul has shared the ring with Mike Tyson, but Mike Tyson at 58 and coming off a serious health scare. Aside from that, he’s defeated the likes of Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley, and Anderson Silva – all former mixed martial artists well past their prime.
Two of those former Paul opponents are actually featured on Friday’s card at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Anderson Silva, once thought retired, was supposed to face Chris Weidman in a boxing match earlier this year. With that falling through (and an entire Paul fight against Gervonta Davis also crashing and burning), he instead gets Tyron Woodley.
It’s a smart move by Paul and his business partners, who seem to know that the MMA fanbase is as invested in him as the boxing world. With two audiences to draw from, it’s more eyeballs on the product. And since it’s on Netflix, it’s free, as long as you subscribe to the streaming service. With the fifth season of Stranger Things just landing, a lot of folks have renewed their subscriptions, so Paul vs. Joshua comes at an opportune moment for “The Problem Child.”
So, what’s the problem? Legitimacy questions abound. Paul has threatened to sue anyone suggesting the fight is fixed, and denied that there was anything in either his or Anthony Joshua’s contract suggesting as much. Of course, no one fixing a fight is about to write it into a contract that would later be used as evidence; the bigger issue is whether Joshua will simply look to cruise to victory over an opponent he not only out-sizes but should also drastically out-skill.
There’s always the chance that Joshua sleeps on Paul, the way Tyson Fury seemed to sleep on Francis Ngannou in their encounter. That said, it feels unlikely, as big of a spectacle as this fight should be. Still, anything other than a big finish by Anthony Joshua, a former IBO, IBF, WBO and WBA heavyweight champion, will likely be looked upon as a failure.
Where to Watch Paul vs. Joshua
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida on Friday, December 19, 2025. The card streams live on Netflix starting at 8PM ET following online prelims on Youtube. Those kick off at 4:45PM ET; full results from the event can be found below.
Paul vs. Joshua Results
Main Card (8PM ET/5PM PT on Netflix)
Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua
Alycia Baumgardner (c) vs. Leila Beaudoin — For the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring women’s super featherweight championship
Anderson Silva vs. Tyron Woodley
Jahmal Harvey vs. Kevin Cervantes
Preliminary Card (4:45PM ET/1:45PM PT on YouTube)
Cherneka Johnson (c) vs. Amanda Galle — For the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring women’s bantamweight championship
Caroline Dubois (c) def. Camilla Panatta by unanimous decision (99-90, 99-90, 99-90) — for the WBC women’s lightweight championship
Yokasta Valle (c) def. Yadira Bustillos by majority decision (95-95, 98-92, 96-94) — for the WBC women’s strawweight championship
Avious Griffin def. Justin Cardona by knockout, Round 1, 2:59
Keno Marley def. Diarra Davis Jr. by unanimous decision (40-35, 40-35, 40-35)
