Jake Paul’s boxing career faces an extended pause after the Florida Athletic Commission issued an indefinite medical suspension on Sunday following his devastating sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua on December 19 at the Kaseya Center in Miami.
Jake Paul Suspended After Anthony Joshua Loss
Paul suffered a double fracture to his jaw when Joshua unleashed a powerful right hook in the final round. Joshua scored a total of four knockdowns throughout the bout, two in the fifth round and two more in the sixth, before the referee halted the contest. The YouTuber-turned-boxer drove himself to the hospital immediately after, where medical staff confirmed fractures in two separate locations on his jaw.
The severity of Paul’s injury required surgical intervention. On Saturday, December 20, Paul posted from his hospital bed confirming the procedure went smoothly. Surgeons fitted two titanium plates on each side of his mouth and extracted several teeth to accommodate the plating. “Just got out of surgery. Everything went smooth,” Paul wrote on social media. “Lots of pain and stiffness. Gotta eat liquids for 7 days.”
The Florida Athletic Commission’s decision means Paul cannot return to competitive boxing until he receives full medical clearance from a licensed physician. This standard protocol applies to serious facial injuries.
Tyron Woodley, who appeared on the same card and was knocked out by Anderson Silva within two rounds, received a 30-day suspension, a considerably shorter timeline than Paul’s indefinite status. Other fighters from the December 19 event faced varying bans, with Justin Cardona receiving a 60-day suspension and Camilla Panatta and Yokasta Valle each getting 30 days.
MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian indicated Paul‘s physical recovery timeline could span four to six weeks before the boxer is cleared to resume training. Paul’s ambitious post-fight comments about returning to cruiserweight and pursuing a world title have now been shelved. The setback coincides with his removal from the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings on December 31, ending his brief tenure at No. 14 following his July entry after defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Paul’s knockout loss marked his first ever in 14 professional bouts and his second career defeat overall. The gap in experience and size, Joshua weighed 26.8 pounds more and stood five inches taller, proved insurmountable, despite Paul lasting longer than many analysts predicted. Joshua’s scorecards showed complete dominance, with judges awarding him every round before the knockout, including a brutal 10-7 score in the fifth round after the double knockdown.
Paul acknowledged Joshua’s superiority in the moments following the defeat. “Anthony’s a great fighter. I got my ass beat but that’s what this sport’s about,” Paul said during a post-fight interview while visibly injured. His team now focuses on his medical recovery while the boxing world assesses what comes next for the controversial fighter whose unorthodox path has consistently challenged sport conventions.
