Jake Paul faceplanted former NBA Basketball star with one punch on card headlined by Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. 

Jake Paul showed off one-punch knockout power by flattening former NBA star Nate Robinson

Paul and Nate Robinson squared off on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. undercard in 2020. The two athletes boxed in front of a virtually empty arena at the Staples Center in Los Angeles at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was Robinson’s professional boxing debut after a long, decorated career in professional basketball. He won the NBA Slam Dunk Contest three times in his career and was one of the most explosive athletes in the league during his prime.

Paul and Robinson got off to a slow start in the first round, as Robinson opted for a dirty-boxing approach with clinches and evasiveness. The two boxers were entangled about a dozen times in the first round as both Paul and Robinson tried to find their footing.

But Paul turned the tide as he landed a nasty right head to the top of Robinson’s head to send the former NBA star faceplanting to the canvas. Robinson returned to his feet just before the referee’s 10-second count concluded, and Paul followed up his first knockdown with another right hand that dropped his opponent.

Robinson was visibly exhausted as the second round began, and repeatedly tried to clinch with Paul to regain his composure and cardio. But Paul followed it up with a third knockdown that briefly stopped the fight, before Paul sealed the deal with a fourth punch to Robinson’s chin that knocked him unconscious.

Paul’s knockout win drew rave reviews from combat sports analysts like Joe Rogan, who called his technique ‘very skillful’ against the debutant Robinson. After knocking out Robinson, Paul called out former UFC superstar Conor McGregor, putting himself on the global map of fighting.

Robinson, as of this writing, hasn’t fought in the ring since the Paul fight. As for what’s next for Paul, he’s set to face a former world champion in his first fight since defeating Tyson in November.

Jake Paul’s strength of opponents has been a common critique throughout his career

Paul and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. are set to clash on June 28th in Anaheim. Paul has won five consecutive fights since falling to Tommy Fury in his first-career loss in 2023.

Throughout his young boxing career, Paul has come under repeated criticism for facing low-tier competition in the ring. Despite defeating former UFC champions like Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley, Paul hasn’t fought many experienced boxers in his career.

Paul returns after defeating Tyson by unanimous decision last year and will look to hand Chavez a devastating defeat in their upcoming fight. Despite losing out on the Canelo Alvarez matchup, Paul is still in prime position for big-name fights in 2025 and beyond.