When the Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua boxing match was booked, former UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley was concerned for his friend going up against a boxer with such accolades and accomplishments. He was ‘scared’ for Paul facing someone as dangerous as “AJ.”
O’Malley’s concerns were proved valid when Joshua finished Paul in the sixth round and broke his jaw in the process. Paul went from the venue in Miami to the hospital and then into surgery. Despite the brutal defeat, O’Malley thought Paul showed heart in the fight.
“Anthony Joshua got the job done. Jake did good. Jake fought his heart out, pushed past fatigue, showed his heart,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel.
“A lot to be proud of if you’re Jake Paul,” O’Malley continued. “I don’t think it makes Jake’s stock go down at all in the boxing world. He landed a couple of big punches.”
Paul did connected with a few big shots but he absorbed a lot more than he dished out. He was knocked down four times in the bout. The final knockdown came midway thought the sixth round. Joshua trapped Paul in the corner and unloaded a right hand that sent the influencer-turned-boxer to the canvas. He was unable to rise before the ten count.
Related: Jake Paul underwent surgery for broken jaw after Anthony Joshua KO loss
O’Malley complimented Paul on his chin and found his performance against Joshua to be ‘inspiring.’
“Dude, Jake has a f*cking chin on him. That was the right hand that knocked out Francis [Ngannou],” O’Malley said. “As a fighter, entertainer, I feel like it’s inspiring to watch him do what he did, to sell out Kaseya Center and fight Anthony Joshua live on Netflix, make that much f*cking money doing it. Inspiring.”
O’Malley is scheduled to return to the octagon at UFC 324 on Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against No. 5 ranked Song Yadong.