🚨 RESULT: Anthony Joshua defeated Jake Paul by sixth round knockout at 1:31 of round six, knocking Paul down four times across rounds five and six. Paul was hospitalised after the fight suffering a broken jaw. Joshua’s record moves to 29-4 with 26 KOs. Read on for the full pre-fight odds breakdown and how the contest unfolded.
Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul met at the Kaseya Center in Miami on 19 December 2025 in one of the most commercially significant boxing events of recent years, broadcast live on Netflix to a global audience in a bout billed as Judgment Day. The capacity crowd of 19,600 watched Joshua control the fight from the opening bell before breaking Paul down physically over the final two rounds, stopping him with a right hand to the head at 1:31 of the sixth round.
The fight confirmed what the professional money had been saying throughout the build-up, though it took longer than the majority of early betting anticipated, with most punters having backed a first or second round finish rather than the sixth round stoppage that ultimately arrived.
Pre-Fight Odds
Odds correct at time of original publication, 18 December 2025.
| Market | Selection | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Fight winner | Anthony Joshua | 1/7 (approx) |
| Fight winner | Jake Paul | 6/1 |
| Round betting | Joshua Rd 1 stoppage | Most backed single selection |
| Round betting | Paul Rd 1 win | 100/1 |
Despite Joshua’s heavy favouritism, 86 per cent of bets placed with Bet365 were on Paul to win, reflecting the global betting curiosity that crossover events typically generate rather than genuine expectation of an upset. The serious money remained firmly on Joshua, with bookmakers reporting over 50 per cent of their round betting volume concentrated on a first or second round stoppage by the British fighter. Paul was available at 6/1 to win the fight outright, a price that attracted a large volume of small-stakes bets from punters chasing a major shock.
The Fight: Round by Round
Joshua entered the ring six inches taller than Paul and 26 pounds heavier at the official weigh-in, weighing 243 pounds to Paul’s 216. The size discrepancy was visible from the first bell, with Joshua using his reach and jab to control distance through the early rounds while Paul attempted to close the gap and create opportunities for his overhand right.
The opening rounds were measured and tactical rather than explosive. Joshua established his jab in the second round and began dictating the pace, while Paul showed respectable movement and defensively tried to make himself a difficult target. Paul landed a short right to the head early in the fourth and on two separate occasions fell to the canvas awkwardly during close exchanges, though neither instance was ruled a knockdown.
The contest changed decisively in the fifth round. Joshua connected with a right uppercut that visibly hurt Paul, who took a knee and spent the remainder of the round wobbling around the ring with Joshua’s punches finding their target more regularly. Paul survived to the bell but looked exhausted and damaged, his footwork deteriorating and his punch output dropping sharply.
In the sixth, Joshua sensed the finish. He backed Paul into the corner, landed a combination to the head that put him down, and after Paul rose again, delivered a final right hand that sent him to the canvas for the fourth and final time. Referee Christopher Young counted Paul out at 1:31. Paul later confirmed he had suffered a broken jaw in the contest, telling reporters that Joshua was a great fighter and that he had received the beating that the sport sometimes delivers.
How the Betting Market Called It
The outcome was precisely what the professional money had expected, though the timing was slightly later than the majority of punters had anticipated. The heavy concentration of round betting on rounds one and two for a Joshua stoppage did not land, with the actual finish coming in the sixth, a round that had attracted minimal specific betting interest before the event. Those who had backed Joshua to win by stoppage at any point in the fight were rewarded, though the specific round bettors who had gone for the earlier finishes were left disappointed.
The 86 per cent of volume bets on Paul demonstrated the phenomenon common to crossover boxing events, where a large number of casual bettors place small stakes on the celebrity underdog for entertainment value rather than expected profit. Bookmakers across the UK had flagged in advance that a Paul win would be commercially damaging, making the sixth round finish a considerably more manageable result than the 6/1 upset would have been.
What Came Next for Joshua
The victory was Joshua’s first since knocking out Francis Ngannou in February 2024, ending a period of uncertainty following his stoppage defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024. His record moved to 29-4 with 26 knockouts, and the win reignited conversations about a potential bout with Tyson Fury, who had retired following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua himself acknowledged after the fight that the performance was not his best, but confirmed his intention to return to the ring quickly in 2026 with bigger targets in mind. Paul, meanwhile, returned to the United States to recover from his broken jaw, with his record falling to 12-2.
All odds correct at time of original publication, December 2025. Please gamble responsibly. For help with problem gambling visit GambleAware.org. 18+.
