Jake Paul is closing in to strike Julio Chavez Jr.'s face at the Honda Center in Anaheim California on June 29th, 2025. IMAGO / ZUMA Press Wire

UFC Legend Makes Jake Paul Knockout Prediction Against Anthony Joshua

Originally posted on KO on SI | By Grant Young | Last updated Dec 12, 2025 4:08 PM ET

The phrase "puncher's chance" gets thrown around a lot in the boxing community. This is a way of saying that any professional boxer who has proven an ability to put their opponents' lights out in a fight always has a chance of doing so again, regardless of who they're going up against or how they've fared in the fight to that point.

And this is true to a degree, which is proven by the countless shocking and unexpected knockouts that the sweet science has seen over the years.

But there's also a case to be made that a puncher's chance rapidly diminishes when they're fighting against somebody outside of their weight class, given how much one's power potential is negated when facing a bigger opponent. And when someone is fighting a smaller guy, their puncher's chance is heightened.

This is why it's tough for many to imagine Jake Paul producing a knockout against Anthony Joshua. Even if Paul's chances against the more experienced and skillful Joshua are relegated to having a puncher's chance, the fact that he's naturally about 50 pounds lighter than the former two-time heavyweight champion suggests that even if Paul lands clean, it might not be enough to put Joshua down.

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Then again, Joshua's chin (his capacity to take a punch) has diminished over the years, which is shown by his knockout defeat against Daniel Dubois in September of 2024. And Paul is big and powerful enough to probably knock anybody in the world out if he hits them on the button with a shot they didn't see coming.

Demetrius Johnson Asserts Jake Paul Could Knock Anthony Joshua Out

Former longtime UFC flyweight champion Demetrius "Mighty Mouse" Johnson made this case for Jake Paul during a December 11 episode of his Mighty podcast.

"I think Jake Paul can knock [Joshua] out. Anthony Joshua has been knocked out by some weird a** shots before. Andy Ruiz, Dubois knocked him out with a short overhand right, right? Jake Paul can land one of those shots. He can," Johnson said.

"If Anthony Joshua gets on his bicycle and start moving around... Yeah, he can destroy Jake Paul. But I don't see that happening. I think he's gonna try to prove a point," Johnson continued. "I feel that Jake Paul could potentially knock out Anthony Joshua. I'm just saying."