Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua, Netflix

Jake Paul has a fight for the holiday season after all.

Not long after the exhibition boxing match between Paul and WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis was canceled, Paul instead will fight former two-time unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. The event is set for Dec. 19 at Kaseya Center in Miami and will stream live on Netflix. The mega-streamer announced “Jake vs. Joshua: Judgment Day” on Friday.

“This isn’t an AI simulation. This is ‘Judgment Day’ – a professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime,” Paul said in a release. “When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title. To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry. … the torch gets passed and Britain’s Goliath gets put to sleep.”

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua rule set

Paul vs. Joshua is scheduled for eight, 3-minute rounds and is a sanctioned professional bout, unlike the Davis exhibition. Paul and Joshua will wear 10-ounce gloves.

The only stipulation is that Joshua cannot weigh in heavier than 245 pounds for the fight.

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: How we got here

Paul and his company, Most Valuable Promotions, moved fast to find a replacement when after the cancellation of Paul-Davis, which was scrapped after the news of a civil lawsuit against Davis by a woman who accused him of charges including aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Paul floated Joshua’s name, and also reportedly reached out to Ryan Garcia.

In September 2024, Joshua fought Daniel Dubois, but was knocked out in the fifth round in his quest to become a three-time heavyweight champion. He won an Olympic gold medal for Great Britain at the London Games in 2012, then won his first world title in 2016. He reached boxing superstardom status when he headlined Wembley Stadium in London against Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 fans and unified the heavyweight titles with a win.

After ups and downs and titles lost and regained, the 36-year-old has stayed active the past three years. In March 2024, he knocked out former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou with a brutal finish that made many KO of the Year lists.

“I took some time out and I’m coming back with a mega show,” Joshua said in a release. “It’s a big opportunity for me. Whether you like it or not, I’m here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected. Mark my words: You’ll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I’m about to break the internet over Jake Paul’s face.”

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua booked to headline Netflix event this December

Reporting by MMA Junkie / MMA Junkie

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect