While Joshua survived the crash, he will no doubt not be happy to read the headlines about Mitchell’s comments. Nor will Jake Paul, as apparently, Mitchell believes Paul orchestrated the crash.

“If you don’t let Jake Paul win, he’s gonna kill you nine days later,” Mitchell said in a video posted to Instagram, adding “or just kill your two best friends. But somebody’s gonna die if you don’t let him win.”

It’s worth noting that none of Paul’s other opponents have come to any form of harm, unless you want to count Ben Askren, who years later required a double lung transplant after suffering severe medical issues. Nor did Mitchell provide any evidence to back his claims.

Alongside the video, Mitchell added a comment stating “jake and logan both made fun of me. (because im (sic) “racist and evil”) funny how they say they love Jesus but post gay sh*t all day. their fites (sic) r fixed, wake up.”

Mitchell has become known for anti-LGBTQ views and for comments suggesting that Hitler was actually a “good guy” who you’d want to go fishing wish. That led UFC CEO and President Dana White to label Bryce “one of the dumbest human beings ever.”

Somehow, Mitchell continues to exceed expectations in all the wrong ways.

Prior to his fight with Anthony Joshua, which he lost via stoppage (leaving him with a jaw reportedly broken in two places), Paul had threatened to sue anyone making “fixed fight” claims.

The post Bryce Mitchell Alleges Fight Fixing, Claims Jake Paul Orchestrated Joshua Car Crash appeared first on Cageside Press.

Tinubu confirmed he spoke directly with Joshua following the crash, offering condolences to the boxer and his family while noting that Joshua is conscious and receiving the best possible medical care after the tragic incident.

Joshua, 36, was just 10 days removed from a knockout victory over Jake Paul in Miami when the accident occurred. The former heavyweight champion was on holiday in Nigeria at the time of the crash.

Paul offered his condolences in posts shared on social media.

“RIP Sina Ghami and Kevin “Latif / Latz” Ayodele. My thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends and AJ,” Paul wrote in one post.

“Life is much more important than boxing. I am praying for the lost lives, AJ, and anyone impacted by today’s unfortunate accident.”

Joshua’s promoter, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom boxing, posted a statement on social media as well.

“With profound sadness it has been confirmed that two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele, have tragically passed away,” the statement read.

“Matchroom Boxing and 258 BXG can confirm that Anthony sustained injuries in the accident and was taken to hospital for checks and treatment. He is in a stable condition and will remain under observation. Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the families and friends of all those affected. We respectfully ask that their privacy is honored during this incredibly difficult time.”

Joshua has yet to release a statement as of this post.

The post Anthony Joshua Stable After Crash That Killed Two Longtime Friends appeared first on Cageside Press.

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)

Anthony Joshua def. Jake Paul by knockout, Round 6, 1:31
Alycia Baumgardner (c) def. Leila Beaudoin by unanimous decision (117-110, 117-110, 118-109) — For the WBA, IBF, WBO and The Ring women’s super featherweight championship 
Anderson Silva def. Tyron Woodley by TKO, Round 2, 1:33
Jahmal Harvey def. Kevin Cervantes by unanimous decision (60-53, 60-53, 60-53)

Preliminary Card (4:45PM ET/1:45PM PT on YouTube)

Cherneka Johnson (c) vs. Amanda Galle by unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92, 97-93) — 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)

The post Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

It’s a massive step up for Paul, who weighed in at 216lbs on Thursday, in more ways than one. Joshua, for his part, was contractually obligated to weigh in no more than 245lbs, and hit 243.4 in the end.

Mostly competing as a cruiserweight (the exception coming against a late-50s Mike Tyson in a much-maligned sideshow last year), Paul has primarily fought older, retired mixed martial artists he greatly outsized: Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley (both welterweights), and Anderson Silva (a middleweight well into his 40s).

Against Tyson, he fought a boxing legend well past his prime, in Tommy Fury, one of the few actual, active boxers Paul has shared the ring with, he was out-classed. That, against a boxer with a badly padded record whose opponents offer a combined record of 36-177-5 as of December 2025.

Now, Jake Paul will face a legitimate heavyweight boxing champ with all the skill and power that comes with being a former WBA, IBO, IBF, and WBO heavyweight boxing champion. Aside from the weight differential and skill differential, Joshua has five inches in height on Paul, and while he’s eight years older, he’s a spring chicken compared to Paul’s usual opponents.

Paul vs. Joshua airs Friday, December 19 live on Netflix. The event takes place at the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida.

The post Jake Paul, Anthony Joshua Make Weight for Netflix Boxing Spectacle appeared first on Cageside Press.

As part of their big push into the boxing sphere, Saudi Arabia hosted the second of Francis Ngannou’s boxing fights, just like the first, as he took on another champion in Anthony Joshua, this one a former champ. Ngannou’s performance against Tyson Fury last year convinced all, even skeptics, that he is legitimately good as a boxer after he left the UFC in search of greater fortune.

He faced the Anthony Joshua, one of the most recognizable fighters in the world and former world champion, an icon in England. Though most see Fury as a better fighter than AJ, Joshua surely would not take him as lightly as Tyson did, so he was still the favorite coming into the fight.

Although Ngannou started strong, controlling the pace with his jab and lead hook, he got overconfident and Joshua dropped him with a minute left in the first round. In the second, Francis had more trouble getting going and ate one more big right hand a minute in, but ate it better.

Then, one minute later Anthony Joshua landed a great right hand, that seriously hurt Ngannou. The second one after Francis beat the ten-count was perfect, instantly knocking him cold, where he lay for a while. AJ showed that he is still one of the best in the world. After a full minute or so, Ngannou was able to sit up.

When he was able to speak with Joshua, Anthony told him, “Don’t leave, don’t leave boxing… Let me know if you need anything, we’ll talk another time. I want to donate to your foundation also,” showing pure class.

In his post-fight interview, AJ called for the winner of Oleksandr Usyk VS Tyson Fury, which goes down soon for the undisputed belt.

Official Result: Anthony Joshua def. Francis Ngannou by Knockout (right hand) Round 2, 2:38

The post Anthony Joshua Puts Francis Ngannou Out Cold In Round 2 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Just a few years ago, that sentence would have been near unthinkable to write, let alone read. But Ngannou, known to MMA fans as “The Predator,” has proven to be that rare figure able to almost will his dreams into existence. After winning the UFC heavyweight championship and defending the belt, Ngannou held out in a lengthy contract dispute with the promotion, during which one of his demands was to pursue a boxing match with Fury.

UFC heavyweight champ vs. boxing heavyweight champ certainly had a nice ring to it. But when Ngannou vacated his title and signed with rival PFL, it seemed like the boxing dream had fizzled. Dana White sent to far as to suggested his former employee (sorry, indepenent contractor) had “fumbled the bag.”

As it turns out, Ngannou fumbled the bag all the way to the bank, landing the Fury fight and knocking the heavyweight champ down in the bout. Many had Francis winning, though the scorecards say otherwise, but his performance landed him a ranking, and a second look against another boxing star in Anthony Joshua, in a card with the rather fun moniker “Knockout Chaos.”

Where to Watch Joshua vs. Ngannou: Knockout Chaos

The Knockout Chaos card can be viewed via either DAZN (with subscription) or PPV.com on Friday, March 8, 2024 with the event taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The undercard gets underway at 11AM ET. Full results from the event can be found below.

Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Knockout Chaos Results

Anthony Joshua def. Francis Ngannou via R2 KO, 2:38
Joseph Parker def. Zhilei Zhang via Decision
Rey Vargas vs Nick Ball Ruled A Split Draw
Israil Madrimov def. Magomed Kurbanov via R5 KO
Mark Chamberlain def. Gavin Gwynne via R4 KO, 2:46
Justis Huni def. Kevin Lerena via Decision
Louis Green def. Jack McGann via KO, Round 1, 1:29
Roman Fury def. Martin Svarc via Decision
Ziyad Almaayouf def. Christian Lopez Flores via Decision
Andrii Novytski def. Juan Torres via KO, Round 3

The post Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou: Knockout Chaos Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

The two will hit the scales just 24 hours before their fight on DAZN PPV. Weigh-ins kick off at 8am PST/11am EST

Joshua (27-3) went 3-0 in 2023 with victories over Jermaine Franklin, Robert Helenius and Otto Wallin. He looks to get back on track for a heavyweight title fight with a win over Ngannou.

Ngannou (0-1 boxing) will get back into the ring following a split-decision loss to Tyson Fury in October of last year. The former UFC heavyweight king put on a very close match with Fury including scoring a knockdown in the third round which was only the 7th time the boxing champ has hit the canvas.

This massive boxing event is just the next in what has turned Saudi Arabia into a combat sports destination with boxing, MMA and other events taking place in the region. PFL vs. Bellator just took place there with the UFC planning to make a return later this year.

Watch the Joshua vs. Ngannou weigh-in livestream above. The event goes down on Friday, March 8, from Riyadh on DAZN PPV.

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In the latest example of smart marketing, a trailer has been released for the upcoming Anthony Joshua vs. Francis Ngannou boxing showdown— which takes place March 8, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. And boy is it a good one.

Channeling classic Street Fighter vibes, the trailer gives both Joshua and PFL‘s “The Predator” their moment to shine. Check it out below care of DAZN’s social media.

A 𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗖𝗞𝗢𝗨𝗧 trailer for #KnockoutChaos 🍿#JoshuaNgannou is live worldwide on DAZN on 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗗𝗔𝗬, March 8. Buy NOW at https://t.co/FoiaUucafv. #RiyadhSeason | @Turki_alalshikh pic.twitter.com/hk9sufiqDz

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) February 27, 2024

Ngannou is a busy man these days. Having exited the UFC after failing to come to terms on a new contract, he landed his dream fight against Tyson Fury, fighting to a split decision against the consensus best heavyweight on the planet. That has landed the Cameroonian a fight with Joshua; after that, there’s a match-up back in the MMA world against Renan Ferreira waiting.

The booking with Ferreira was sealed when the Brazilian PFL heavyweight champ defeated Bellator counterpart Ryan Bader at the PFL vs. Bellator Champions card last weekend. Ngannou signed with the Professional Fighters League in early 2023, but has yet to step in the cage for the promotion.

When Ngannou vs. Ferreira actually happens remains to be seen, and is likely dependent on the outcome of the boxing match with Joshua. Especially should Ngannou require time off to recover.

As for this latest trailer, it underscores just how formulaic the UFC‘s own promotional reels have become. Picture something like this for UFC 300!

The post Joshua vs. Ngannou Trailer Channels Street Fighter, Scores Knockout appeared first on Cageside Press.

For undefeated welterweight Conor Benn, the bout between himself and Peter Dobson this Saturday in Las Vegas is another opportunity to showcase his skills and throw down the gauntlet at the feet of boxing’s longtime glamour division.

The 27-year-old son of decorated boxer Nigel Benn has grown his career behind multiple impressive finishes and another display of his skills and power is expected to push him even closer towards potential fights against the superstars of 147 pounds such as Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr, and Jaron Ennis.

But outside of himself, Benn is no stranger to understanding the business of boxing.  His promoter, Matchroom, is putting on the next big crossover extravaganza when former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua takes on lineal UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in March.  Many fighters might take offense to seeing an MMA star quickly ascend to the sports pinnacle, but Benn acknowledges the demand for such events.

“If there’s a demand for it, why can’t it happen? Why shouldn’t it happen? There can be upsets in boxing, not that I there will be an upset against AJ with Ngannou but look at the fight with Fury. I think when you’re in combat sport and you’re the best in that division, there will always be some sort of competitiveness. (Ngannou) is one of the hardest punchers on stats and the UFC heavyweight champion. So why not? The public want to see it. It would be a mega fight. It is a mega fight.”

Of course, the opportunities for crossover are higher today than ever before.  Established champions such as Claressa Shields, Amanda Serrano, and Savannah Marshall are signed to the PFL to compete in mixed martial arts.  Influencer turned pugilist Jake Paul is also expected to finally try his hand at MMA later this year in the Smart Cage. So, would Benn do it? Benn has said he’s entertained the thought before and even gone as far as to train.

“I considered it years ago before I fully went into boxing. I enjoyed it. I loved it. I went to a few Jiu-Jitsu lessons and wrestling lessons and you know it’s completely different. It’s exhausting. It’s tiring. It’s a completely different sort of fitness.”

Conor Benn fights Peter Dobson this Saturday February 3, 2024 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, Live on DAZN.

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Citing Turki AlAlShikh, Ariel Helwani has revealed that former UFC heavyweight champ Ngannou will face Anthony Joshua in a 10-round boxing match in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. No date was given for the bout, beyond “later on this year,” but it is reportedly a done deal on both sides.

A press conference is expected to be held later this month in London, England to announce the date of the fight.

For those unaware, AlAlShikh is the Chairman of General Authority for Entertainment in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which played host to Ngannou’s first foray into boxing, against Tyson Fury just months ago.

Ngannou stunned fight fans in both the boxing and mixed martial arts worlds by taking Tyson Fury, the lineal heavyweight champion, to a split decision in the ex-UFC star’s professional boxing debut this past October. Ngannou acquitted himself so well that he wound up ranked, coming in at #10 in the heavyweight division in the WBC rankings.

Few expected him to survive, let alone thrive, against Fury, considered by many the greatest heavyweight of his era if not all time. Instead, “The Predator” managed to knock down Fury, altering the look of the fight in the ensuing rounds.

While Fury did get the nod on the scorecards, the message was clear: Ngannou had not “fumbled the bag” by leaving the UFC to pursue a dream match-up with Fury, in addition to signing with the PFL on the MMA side. In fact, another big bag of cash now awaits Francis Ngannou for the Joshua fight.

Anthony Joshua (27-3) is coming off his third straight victory following a corner stoppage against Otto Wallin last month. He’s a former WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and IBO heavyweight champion, as well as having held the WBC International and Commonwealth heavyweight titles.

One does have to wonder what the timeline for Ngannou’s PFL debut will become as the result of this news, though it’s possible he competes in the back half of 2024 if the boxing match with Joshua arrives earlier. Ngannou has not competed inside the cage since his 2022 victory over Ciryl Gane at UFC 270.

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