Jake Paul Says No More Heavyweights After Joshua Fight

American boxer Jake Paul has promised not to fight heavyweights again. This decision comes after his tough loss to Anthony Joshua, a former two-time heavyweight champion. The fight left Paul with a broken jaw that needed several surgeries.

Paul, who usually fights in the cruiserweight division, was knocked out in the sixth round at the Kaseya Center in Miami on December 19. Joshua dropped Paul four times before referee Christopher Young stopped the fight at 1:31 of the round.

Joshua was almost 27 pounds heavier and five inches taller than Paul. He was heavily favored to win the match.

On The Pat McAfee Show, Paul said this experience made him realize that fighting top heavyweights is not something he wants to do again. "I just probably will not fight Olympic gold medal heavyweights anymore. I learned my lesson. I am definitely still fighting. I am getting back to it, keep on fighting, maybe do some MMA," Paul said.

After the fight, Paul shared on Instagram that his jaw was fractured in two places. He had to undergo surgery, get titanium plates inserted, and have some teeth removed.

Paul spent months away from training while he recovered. Doctors needed to check how well his jaw was healing before they allowed him to train again. Paul said he expects to start full-contact training soon. He has already begun talking about possible opponents, including Nate Diaz, as he considers a move to mixed martial arts.

"I want to do MMA. We have been trying to make the Nate Diaz MMA fight happen for a long time. I think it is still on the table, so we will see what happens in the next year or two," Paul said.

He also mentioned the chance of fighting former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar. Paul pointed out his amateur wrestling background from Ohio. He suggested he might have another boxing match, maybe against Floyd Mayweather, before switching to MMA.

For Joshua, this win over Paul was his first since he knocked out Francis Ngannou in February 2024. This victory improved Joshua's professional record to 29 wins and four losses, with 26 of those wins coming by knockout.

The win has sparked rumors about a potential fight with fellow Briton Tyson Fury. However, Fury has been retired since his losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2024.