HIGHLIGHTS
- A former heavyweight champion spread an unconfirmed rumor that Jake Paul was injured and the fight with Anthony Joshua might be canceled
- UFC Hall-of-Famer Chael Sonnen blasted the claims as irresponsible and unfounded
- The fight is still officially on for December 19 at Kaseya Center in Miami, streaming live on Netflix
There’s no shortage of drama leading up to the Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight. Paul fueled some confusion when he teased a major announcement earlier this week. Many wondered if he was pulling out of the fight.
As it turned out, Paul was mixing business with trolling as he announced the signing of Caroline Dubois to his MVP Promotions’ roster. DuBois is the sister of Daniel Dubois, the former heavyweight champion who scored a KO win over Joshua in September 2024.
The latest concern is equally unfounded. Former WBC heavyweight champion Bermane Stiverne reportedly told Gamble Online that he’d heard the fight was off.
“I’ve just heard somewhere that he was injured, that it’s not happening,” Stiverne reportedly said, per a quote sent to me from representatives of the organization, and info circulating to several publications. “I don’t know. I just heard not long ago it was cancelled. I don’t know what’s going on. Lawrence Okolie gave him a black eye or something and from what I heard the fight is not happening after sparring sessions [with world ranked fighters]. It might be a lie, or it might be true, but I don’t know. That’s what I was hearing and it wouldn’t surprise me.”
UFC Hall-of-Famer and content creator, Chael Sonnen took Stiverne to task for his take and the spreading of a largely unsupported rumor.
Should We Believe The Cancellation Rumors?
In short, no. Neither Paul, Joshua, MVP, Matchroom, nor Netflix has said anything about the fight being off. As far as the official word goes, “Judgment Day” is still happening on December 19 at Kaseya Center in Miami.
Sonnen wasn’t having any of Stiverne’s speculation. In a recent video, he went off.
“I’m sorry. I am sorry to Bermane Stiverne that the educational system has failed you so greatly,” Sonnen said. “I’m sorry to Bermane Stiverne that you are the heavyweight champion of the world. I’m not sure I’m pronouncing your name right. I apologize to Bermane Stiverne that you’re the heavyweight champion of the WBC, and I have never read your name until right here, right now. Now, I’m not looking to be a **** about it, but this is bad. This is very bad stuff.”
When Is The Fight And How Can You Watch?
Mark your calendars for Friday, December 19, 2025. The venue is Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. Paul and Joshua will go at it for eight rounds with three-minute frames and 10-oz gloves. The whole thing streams on Netflix, and here’s the kicker—there’s no additional pay-per-view fee. If you’ve got a Netflix subscription, you’re in.
For a full breakdown of the fight week schedule, I’ve got you covered.
What Are Both Fighters Saying Heading Into Fight Week?
Paul is talking a big game—no surprise there. In a December 10 interview, he said he expects to knock Joshua out somewhere around the fifth or sixth round. He’s selling this as a puzzle he can solve with speed, movement, and discipline. Whether you buy that or not is up to you, but he’s certainly not backing down.
Joshua? He’s been ice cold or extremely laid back in his pressers. He’s talking about breaking Paul’s face and body, but he’s also making it clear he’s not going to sleep on a guy who has been doing this full-time for a few years now. Joshua knows Paul brings a certain level of chaos and athleticism to the ring, even if the skill gap is obvious.
The experts are siding with Joshua. We have to. The size, the power, the experience—it’s a lot to overcome–all things being equal. Some analysts have been blunt enough to say that if Joshua doesn’t win this fight convincingly, questions will be asked.
The estimated payouts for both guys suggest there’s way too much money on the table for either side to be playing games.
What to Make of Rumors Jake Paul is Pulling Out of the Fight?
While Sonnen didn’t pull any punches in his assessment of Stiverne’s ability to question the Paul-Joshua fight, the former is likely spot-on with his take.
Many people are seemingly struggling to wrap their heads around Paul agreeing to climb in the ring with a dangerous heavyweight and former world champion like Joshua. That’s what has to be fueling these rumors. This is obviously a major risk on Paul’s part, but at this point, pulling out would be tough to survive—even for someone who embraces the heel persona like Paul.
Barring something catastrophic, I’d expect the fight to happen and we’ll just have to wait and see what comes of it.
