Jake Paul went to the hospital with a possible broken jaw after being stopped by Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight fight in Miami.
The American fought the two-time heavyweight world champion for six rounds but was unable to beat the count after multiple knockdowns.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer was knocked down twice in the fifth and sixth rounds, and in his post-fight statements, he stated that he believed his jaw was “definitely” fractured.
The 28-year-old was unable to attend the post-fight news conference, and Most Valuable Promotions chief Nakisa Bidarian said Paul had been hospitalized.
“We think he broke his jaw. But he’s fine,” Bidarian said.
“He took a shower, and he drove himself to the hospital. A broken jaw is very common in sports, particularly in boxing or MMA. The recovery time is four to six weeks.”
Paul was a huge underdog, and his strategy against Joshua appeared to be to use his speed and feet to avoid the Briton’s powerful punches.
The battle drew criticism because of the weight difference and experience gap between the fighters.
Paul has fought most of his career at cruiserweight and plans to take “some time off” from boxing.
“We will heal the broken jaw and come back and fight people my weight. I’m going for the cruiserweight world title,” he said.
“I’m going to take a little break. I’ve been going hard for six years.”
Paul has created a career out of being unpredictable, with the only constant being his desire to upset the sport.
Only a few months ago, the possibility of Paul facing Joshua seemed improbable, but he has now crossed that off his wishlist.
Prior to meeting Joshua, Paul competed at cruiserweight, and the WBA stated that he will enter their rankings at number 14 in July.
He has now dropped one spot, so a return to that division is most likely if he is to realize his aim of contending for a world title.
Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions, stated that Paul “drove himself to the hospital” after losing to Joshua to be tested for a probable broken jaw and that he may require “four to six weeks” to recuperate.
Once Paul is cleared to compete in 2026, he may begin to look up to those ahead of him in the WBA cruiserweight rankings, with Manchester’s Pat Brown standing out.
Brown is undefeated in five professional fights and could use the opportunity to fight on a major stage and improve his reputation.
Alternatively, Paul has expressed a desire to challenge four-weight world champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and will undoubtedly pursue one of the greatest names still active in the sport.
A rematch with Tommy Fury, Paul’s only other defeat, is still a possibility.
