Anthony Joshua secured a victory over Jake Paul in a six-round bout that ended with a knockout. The fight saw Paul initially evading Joshua, eventually falling to the canvas from exhaustion. Joshua managed to catch up with Paul, sending him down twice in the fifth round and once more in the sixth, concluding the match with a decisive right hand that prompted the referee to stop the fight.
Reflecting on the match, Joshua acknowledged that it was not his best performance but commended Paul for his resilience in the ring. Joshua had stepped in to face Paul after being offered £70 million to replace Gervonta Davis, who was initially slated to fight Paul but was removed from the match due to allegations of kidnapping. Throughout the week leading up to the fight, Joshua appeared grateful for the opportunity and expressed his determination to emerge victorious.
The fight itself lacked the usual fanfare, with Joshua entering the ring promptly and focusing on the task at hand. Paul, on the other hand, engaged in antics and attempted to keep his distance from Joshua by circling the ring. Despite some back-and-forth exchanges, Joshua ultimately asserted his dominance, leading to the decisive knockout in the sixth round.
In other matches, Alycia Baumgardner successfully defended her super-featherweight world titles against Leila Beaudoin, while Anderson Silva emerged victorious against Tyron Woodley in a battle of UFC veterans. London’s Caroline Dubois also retained her lightweight world title with a points victory over Camilla Pannata.