Like it or not, the biggest boxing event in December happens in Miami when Jake Paul takes on former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. You can bet it will be a star-studded event and while many purists will still frown on the novelty fight, the card is a nice mix of crossover and highly competitive pro boxing.
Here are the details.
Date, Time, and How to Watch
- Date: Friday, December 19, 2025
- Location: Miami, Florida
- How to Watch: Netflix (exclusive)
- Start Time: TBA (main event expected late evening)
The Rules
This is a professional boxing match—no exhibition rules. Hearn confirmed the fight is eight three-minute rounds with 10-ounce gloves at a 245-pound weight limit. Joshua’s camp wouldn’t accept anything different.
“We’re going in to eat and to hunt,” Hearn said. “As soon as he gets anywhere near him, as soon as he gets the opportunity, he’s unloading everything on his chin.”
Full Fight Card
- Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua – 8 rounds, heavyweights (main event)
- Alycia Baumgardner vs. Leila Beaudoin – 12 rounds, WBO/IBF/WBA women’s junior lightweight titles
- Anderson Silva vs. Tyron Woodley – 6 rounds, cruiserweights
- Cherneka Johnson vs. Amanda Galle – 10 rounds, undisputed women’s bantamweight championship
- Yokasta Valle vs. Yadira Bustillos – 10 rounds, WBC women’s strawweight title
- Avious Griffin vs. Justin Cardona – 8 rounds, welterweights
- Keno Marley vs. Diarra Davis Jr. – 4 rounds, cruiserweights
Baumgardner is one of the best female fighters in the world and the same can be said for Johnson. On top of that, we get a crossover battle between two former UFC champions in Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva–both men have faced Paul in boxing.
Paul drew with Woodley in their first meeting but savagely knocked him out in the rematch. Paul dropped Silva and won by decision.
What’s At Stake
This is by far the most dangerous fight of Paul’s career. When I spoke with Eddie Hearn, Anthony Joshua’s promoter, he didn’t mince words about the matchup.
“Do I think Jake Paul’s going to get knocked clean out? Yes,” Hearn told me. “Has Jake improved? Yeah, a hell of a lot. He’s a boxer. He’s a cruiserweight. He can compete at a decent level now. But this is just a mixture of madness, delusion, maybe a bit of pressure.”
Hearn described the leap from Paul facing criticism for not fighting “real guys” to suddenly challenging a two-time world heavyweight champion as going “from one extreme to the other.” He compared Paul to a top-60 cruiserweight in the world stepping up against Joshua.
For his part, Paul has consistently talked about chasing the biggest challenges. When I interviewed him in 2024, he made his ambitions clear: “First and foremost, becoming boxing world champion and on that journey and path now.” He added that in today’s entertainment landscape, “you have to do it all to be at the top.”
Paul Vs. Joshua: What to Expect
Against Joshua, most expect Paul to get destroyed and quite honestly, if it doesn’t happen, you’ll have mounds of people criticizing Joshua or claiming he was giving less than his best effort in the fight. In any case, it’ll be the place to be on December 19.
There is no NFL that night. There’s only five NBA games on the schedule with the most compelling being the Philadelphia 76ers vs. New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves. Mind you, both will likely be over by the time Paul and Joshua are in the ring. Even WWE Smackdown will have concluded by the time the main event gets started in Miami.
With no other combat sports event on schedule, you can expect the event to dominate social media and sports coverage on late Friday night heading into the weekend with no other major boxing card and no UFC event.
This event has been perfectly placed to do spectacular numbers. Be on the lookout for consistent coverage leading up to the event.
