YouTube star turned professional boxer Jake Paul has spoken candidly about the gruelling physical and mental toll of his recovery from a devastating knockout loss to Anthony Joshua last month.
The Painful Aftermath of a Heavyweight Challenge
The 28-year-old American, who took on the monumental challenge of facing the two-time world heavyweight champion in Miami on December 19, suffered a broken jaw in two places from a crushing right hand in the sixth round. Paul was swiftly stopped by the British icon, a result many had predicted.
He has since undergone surgery, revealing to Most Valuable Promotions that doctors inserted four titanium plates to repair the damage. However, the healing process has been far from straightforward. "The healing process has been a little bit tough," Paul admitted. "I'm a little bit tired, it's hard to sleep. I go onto the pillow and then my jaw torques up to the left and I wake up."
Appearing on his brother Logan's Impaulsive podcast before Christmas, Paul gave a graphic description of the injury: "It's like there's a baseball in there. Four titanium plates. It's literally snapped, bro, completely snapped."
Business Success Amid Personal Setback
Despite the painful personal setback, the event itself was a resounding commercial success. Paul confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that the fight drew a staggering 33 million viewers on Netflix, topping the charts in 45 countries.
In his social media post on January 2, 2026, he also paid a poignant tribute to Anthony Joshua's close friends, Sina Ghami and Latif 'Latz' Ayodele, who tragically died in the car crash in Nigeria involving Joshua earlier in the week. "This video is dedicated to the memory Sina and Latz. Rest in peace," Paul wrote.
Looking to the Future: A Return at Cruiserweight
While his brief foray into the heavyweight division is conclusively over, Paul's fighting spirit remains intact. He has confirmed his intention to return to the ring, but at a more natural weight class. "I'm going to come back and fight people my weight and go for the cruiserweight world championship at some point," he stated after the loss to AJ.
Acknowledging the need for a break, he added: "I'm going to take a little break. I've been going hard for six years, so I'm going to take some time off." The fighter, who now holds a professional record of 12 wins and 2 losses, reflected on the experience positively, calling it "an amazing night" where he "learned a lot" and "gained a lot of experience."
Paul was recently in Puerto Rico to support his Most Valuable Promotions fighter, Amanda Serrano, who successfully defended her WBA and WBO featherweight titles against Reina Tellez via a unanimous decision.
