MIAMI — In a thrilling showdown on Friday night, Anthony Joshua delivered a knockout punch to Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight clash.

The seasoned two-time heavyweight champion demonstrated his formidable power by sending Paul to the canvas twice during the fifth round, showcasing why he remains one of boxing’s most feared competitors.

As Paul struggled to recover, Joshua seized the opportunity in the sixth round, landing a decisive right uppercut. The Englishman then unleashed a flurry of punches to Paul’s head, sending the YouTube star to the mat once more.

Though Paul, with a record of 12-2, managed to stand up again, Joshua, now with a record of 29-4 and 26 knockouts, dashed any hopes of an upset with a final, crushing right-hand blow. The bout concluded at 1:31 of the sixth round when referee Christopher Young counted Paul out, much to the excitement of the 19,600-strong crowd at the Kaseya Center.

“It took a bit longer than I anticipated, but the right hand eventually landed,” Joshua remarked post-fight. “Jake Paul showed a lot of heart tonight. I’ve got to hand it to him—he kept getting back up. He deserves respect for stepping into the ring with a true fighter.”

After the match, Paul revealed he had suffered a broken jaw in two places.

With the victory, Joshua now can angle to reclaim the heavyweight title he lost against Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua also has talked about a long discussed match with countryman and former champion, Tyson Fury. However, Fury is currently retired following consecutive losses to Usyk in 2024.

It was Joshua’s first bout since Daniel Dubois knocked him out in five rounds in Sept. 2024.

Joshua methodically established pace against Paul from the opening round as neither fighter engaged early. Midway through the round, Paul threw an overhand right that Joshua blocked with his glove. In the closing seconds, Joshua scored with a right to the head near the ropes.

In the second, Joshua began utilizing his 6-inch reach advantage by leading with a left jab.

Paul scored with a short right to the head early in the fourth. Later in the round, Paul twice fell to the canvas awkwardly as he again attempted to cut distance during close exchanges

“I gave it my all,” Paul said. “Anthony is a great fighter and I got my (rear end) kicked but that what this sport is all about. But I’m going to come back and keep winning.”

Paul weighed 216 pounds and Joshua weighed 243 for the bout.

The 28-year-old Paul, who began his career in Jan. 2020, originally had targeted an exhibition in Miami with lightweight champion Gervonta Davis last month. But Davis encountered legal problems that scrapped the event. Paul quickly pivoted and landed the bout against Joshua in the same venue.

Celebrities in the crowd included golf champion Rory McIlroy, New York Mets slugger Juan Soto, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy and retired NFL receivers Michael Irvin and Brandon Marshall.

In an undercard bout between retired UFC champions, 50-year-old Anderson Silva scored a second-round TKO against Tyron Woodley.