Miami. Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight fight Friday night.

The two-time heavyweight champion showed why he remains one of boxing’s elite punchers, dropping a fading Paul twice in the fifth round.

Sensing the YouTuber was in trouble, Joshua rocked him with a right uppercut early in the sixth round before flooring Paul with a combination to the head. Although Paul (12-2) managed to get up again, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) ended the upset bid moments later, dropping him for the fourth time with a right hand.

Referee Christopher Young stopped the fight at 1:31 of the sixth round in front of a sellout crowd of 19,600 at the Kaseya Center.

With the victory, Joshua positioned himself for another run at the heavyweight title he lost to Oleksandr Usyk. He has also spoken about a long-discussed bout with fellow Briton and former champion Tyson Fury, though Fury is currently retired after consecutive losses to Usyk in 2024.

The bout marked Joshua’s first fight since he was knocked out in five rounds by Daniel Dubois in September 2024.

Joshua methodically established the pace from the opening round, with neither fighter engaging heavily early. Midway through the first, Paul threw an overhand right that Joshua blocked. In the closing seconds, Joshua landed a right hand near the ropes.

In the second round, Joshua began exploiting his six-inch reach advantage, repeatedly leading with his jab.

Paul connected with a short right hand early in the fourth round, but later fell awkwardly to the canvas twice while attempting to close the distance in exchanges.

Paul weighed 216 pounds, while Joshua came in at 243.

The 28-year-old Paul, who began his boxing career in January 2020, had initially targeted an exhibition bout in Miami last month against lightweight champion Gervonta Davis. Legal issues involving Davis scrapped that event, prompting Paul to quickly pivot to the Joshua fight at the same venue.

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

In the undercard, retired UFC champion Anderson Silva, 50, scored a second-round TKO over Tyron Woodley.

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