Former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua delivered a commanding performance on Saturday morning, stopping YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul with a sixth-round knockout in their much-anticipated heavyweight clash in Miami.

Paul showed more resilience than many expected, surviving the early rounds and even enjoying brief moments of success, but Joshua’s experience, composure, and punching power eventually told. The fight began to tilt decisively in Joshua’s favour in the fifth round when he landed a sharp uppercut that forced Paul into a clinch before he dropped to the canvas.

Although Paul managed to land an overhand right that briefly caught Joshua’s attention, the former world champion responded with relentless pressure. Paul was knocked down twice in the fifth round, appearing increasingly fatigued as Joshua continued to close the distance and land heavy shots. He narrowly made it to the end of the round, but was visibly shaken as the bell rang.

Joshua wasted no time finishing the job in the sixth round. He opened with a clean combination before dropping Paul with a powerful right hand. Backing him into the corner, Joshua unleashed a flurry of punches, ending the contest with a crushing right hand to the chin that sent Paul to the canvas, where he failed to beat the referee’s count.

The victory marked Joshua’s return to the ring after a 15-month layoff, following his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in an IBF title fight in September 2024. Despite the emphatic win, Joshua admitted afterward that he felt the fight took longer than he had hoped.

“The plan was to pin him down and hurt him. It took a bit longer than expected, but the right hand finally landed,” Joshua said. He added that Paul was “there to get knocked out” once the opportunity came.

In his post-fight comments, Joshua turned his attention to fellow former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, openly challenging him to step into the ring and settle their long-discussed rivalry.

Paul, meanwhile, remained defiant despite the defeat. He revealed that he suffered a broken jaw during the bout and was taken to the hospital afterward. Still, he insisted he would continue his boxing career, saying he plans to take a short break before returning with renewed focus.

The loss was the second of Paul’s professional career. Despite the setback, he has built a profile in boxing with wins over high-profile opponents, including a controversial victory over Mike Tyson in 2024 and a points win against Julio Cesar Chávez Jr. earlier this year.