UFC Hall of Famer and former champ has waded into the debate surrounding Jake Paul’s upcoming heavyweight boxing match against Anthony Joshua, and he’s not holding back on those who believe the YouTuber-turned-boxer can knock out the former two-time heavyweight champion. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Michael Bisping expressed disbelief at the predictions favoring Paul, particularly targeting figures like Mighty Mouse who have publicly backed the underdog scenario.
UFC Legend Tears Into Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua Doubters
The fight, scheduled for December 19, 2025, at Miami’s Kaseya Center and streaming on Netflix, represents the most significant test of Paul’s boxing career to date. Paul (12-1) weighs nearly 25 pounds less than Joshua, stands five inches shorter, and carries a six-inch reach disadvantage. Joshua (28-4) returns after a 14-month hiatus following his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
“Boxing, people die. Simple as that. This is not a game, you don’t play at boxing. The sad stat is something like eight to ten fighters per year pass away because with the bigger gloves you can take more shots to the head,” he stated. He then highlighted Joshua’s status within the heavyweight ranks and his demonstrated power. “Anthony Joshua is one of the most successful heavyweights of this generation. He’s got real knockout power. Look at what he did to Francis Ngannou. You don’t need to look any further than that. So when I see people saying Jake Paul is going to knock out Anthony Joshua, I can’t believe what I’m watching. Mighty Mouse, you’re the man. Tyson Fury knows a thing or two about boxing. But I think he’s talking out of his ass. No man alive should believe that Jake Paul is going to knock out Anthony Joshua. He’s a proper fighting man.”
Joshua‘s knockout of Francis Ngannou in March 2024 serves as the central evidence in Bisping’s case. The encounter lasted just two rounds in Saudi Arabia, with Joshua dropping the former UFC heavyweight champion three times before a devastating right hand ended the contest. Bisping repeatedly referenced this performance when dismantling the notion of Paul scoring a knockout victory.
Addressing the speculation surrounding fight integrity, Bisping acknowledged the discussion but leaned on the credibility of key figures.
“There’s been a lot of talk about this being a potentially fixed fight or some kind of rule set or agreement where these guys take it easy on one another,” he explained. “Anthony Joshua came out and said, ‘That’s nonsense, no way, not at all. I think Jake Paul’s going to come out there and try to hurt me. There’s no stipulation where I have to take it easy on him.’ Eddie Hearn said, ‘There’s no way on this earth I’m going to be involved in a fixed fight. That’s illegal. This is a real fight. There will be no holding anyone up. Anthony Joshua will go out from the first bell to knock Jake Paul spark out as quickly as possible and as violently as possible.’ I’ll give that some credence. He’s one of the best promoters in the world, he’s not going to throw away his license and everything he’s worked for to fix a Jake Paul fight.”
Bisping concluded with a direct statement regarding Ngannou’s performance. “Remember what Anthony Joshua did to Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia. He stood there toe‑to‑toe, waited for the opening, threw a right hand, it was like absolute lightning and the power was crippling. Every single right hand that Anthony Joshua threw, he dropped Francis Ngannou, who is a gigantic human being with true one‑punch knockout power. So Mighty Mouse, I love you, bro, but what on earth are you talking about? There is no way on this earth this fight ends with Jake Paul knocking out Anthony Joshua.”
