Yes, it is happening.
Anthony Joshua will face Jake Paul in a professional, legitimate eight-round heavyweight boxing fight in Miami on Dec. 19.
Speculation around a potential fight had been bubbling since March, when Paul first raised the prospect of boxing Joshua. In November, they signed a deal to face off after Paul's fight with Gervonta Davis fell through and Joshua wanted a return to the ring after a 12 month lay-off.
The event has divided the boxing community, but promises to be one of the most-watched sporting events of the year.
Here is everything you need to know ahead of the fight.
When is the fight?
The fight will take place on Friday, Dec. 19 in Miami at the Kaseya Center.
Main event ring walk times have yet to be confirmed, but expected around 10-10.30 p.m. ET. That's 7-70 30 p.m. in Los Angeles, or 3-3.30 a.m. on Saturday Dec. 20 GMT.
Where is the fight being broadcast?
The fight will be streamed exclusively on Netflix. Anyone who has a subscription will be able to watch the event.
Why are Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua fighting each other?
Aside from both earning a huge amount of money, they also know how much interest the event will generate and how many eyeballs it will attract. The timing was also perfect for both.
Paul was supposed to fight Davis in November before the bout was cancelled. Netflix still wanted to host a Jake Paul event in 2025 and there is arguably no better match in terms of profile than Joshua, who is a huge name on both sides of the Atlantic.
Having had elbow surgery earlier this year and taking time away from boxing in after his defeat to Daniel Dubois in September last year, Joshua was looking for a return to the ring either the end of this year or early 2026.
Is it a real fight?
Yes.
The fight is a sanctioned, professional fight and not an exhibition, but there are some stipulations.
The most important factor is the weight. Paul is much smaller and typically fights at cruiserweight, while Joshua is a monster heavyweight, one of the biggest in the division.
Per the contracts, Joshua can't weigh more than 245 pounds at the weigh in. For context, Joshua weighed 252 pounds in his last fight. Paul weighed 199 pounds for his last fight against Julio Cezar Chavez Jr. in June. The most Paul has weighed was 227¼ in the exhibition bout with Mike Tyson in November 2024.
There is no limit to how much weight Joshua can put on before the opening bell. The fighters will also wear 10-ounce gloves, the standard for professional heavyweight bouts.
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