YouTuber-turned professional boxer Jake Paul suffered the first knockout loss of his career at the hands of former Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last night (Fri., Dec. 19, 2025) at Judgement Day
inside the Kayesa Center in Miami, Florida (watch highlights).
While many fans believed Paul wouldn’t survive beyond the opening rounds, “El Gallo” managed to drag the bout into the sixth, largely by circling the ring and smothering Joshua in clinches whenever exchanges heated up.
Despite the eventual stoppage, Paul’s adviser and Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian insisted the loss had little to do with skill.
“Ultimately, Jake Paul lasted a lot longer than anyone said he was going to,” Bidarian said during the post-fight press conference. “I think he might have won a round or two, maybe even three. He was doing tremendously well against someone who is vastly larger, vastly more powerful — and he did it on four weeks’ preparation.”
Bidarian went further, claiming the deciding factor was Joshua’s size rather than technical superiority.
“The reality is, Jake lost because of the size difference, not because of the skill difference,” he added. “AJ was hanging on his neck, pushing him down, and when you have someone that heavy doing that constantly, it drains your energy. He didn’t take Jake’s soul — he took his energy.”
Bidarian also framed the result as a moral victory, noting it took Joshua six rounds to stop a boxer who has been competing professionally for just six years.
While credit is due for standing by his fighter, suggesting Paul possessed more skill than a former Heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist borders on absurd — particularly given Paul’s punch-and-clinch strategy and nonstop retreat.
Still, simply stepping into the ring with Joshua deserves respect.
Bidarian expects Paul to return in the summer, provided his broken jaw heals properly.
