Anthony Joshua defeats Jake Paul by knockout

Former two-time heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua defeated YouTuber-turned-fighter Jake Paul by knockout in the sixth round of their much-anticipated bout at the Kaseya Center in Miami late Friday night.

Although the 36-year-old Joshua had not fought since September 2024, when he was knocked out by Daniel Dubois in five rounds, he came in as the prohibitive favorite to derail Paul's ambitious fight plans. However, Paul lasted longer than many experts predicted, nearly taking Joshua the distance in what was scheduled as an eight-round fight. 

And prior to the fight, Joshua told CBS Sports that he would consider it "a failure" if the match went longer than one round. 

But his post-match comments were more tempered. 

"Jake Paul has done really well tonight," Joshua said, according to CBS Sports. "I want to give him his props. He got up time and time again. It was difficult in there for him, but he kept trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that."

In their photo standoff that closed Wednesday's event, the 6-foot-6 Joshua towered over the 6-1 Paul. Joshua also has a six-inch reach advantage, 82-76. In addition, 12 of Paul's bouts have been at the 200-pound cruiserweight limit.

Joshua weighed 243 pounds at their Thursday weigh-in, while Paul was 216.

Paul's ability to entice 58-year-old Mike Tyson to fight him last year further enhanced the circus-like atmosphere that often define his bouts. Yet, the bout against the legendary heavyweight champion, which Paul won by unanimous decision, attracted 72,300 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight also generated a reported 108 million global views.

Joshua, who also won an Olympic gold medal representing his native England in the 2012 Summer Games, understood his perceived role as a boxing savior against Paul.

"It just seems I've been called in to save the purest of boxing," Joshua said prior to the fight. "People don't like the fact that I'm fighting Jake. Whether that concerns me or not is another question. If we look at the people that don't want me to be here, they want me to put an end to the Jake Paul show. That's why I have to carry boxing on my back with this fight."

Joshua's bout against Paul was his second in the United States. Joshua succeeded in leaving the ring Friday with a better outcome than in his debut, when Andy Ruiz Jr. knocked him out in seven rounds to end his first heavyweight reign six years ago at Madison Square Garden.

This is a developing story and will be updated. 

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