The upcoming meeting between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua continues to draw reactions across combat sports. What started as a scramble to replace Gervonta Davis after his exhibition with Paul collapsed has now turned into a full heavyweight contest in Miami on December nineteen. When Netflix and Paul needed a new opponent, they reached the doorstep of former unified champion Anthony Joshua.
Many expect the size and experience of Joshua to be overwhelming. Demetrious Johnson sees something different.
Johnson Says the Knockout Is Possible
When speaking on the MIGHTYcast, Johnson did not hesitate to back Paul’s power.
“I think Jake can knock him out,” Johnson said. “I think Jake’s taking it serious. I think Jake can knock him out. OK, I’m going to go on record right now. Anthony Joshua’s been knocked out by some weird-ass shots before. Andy Ruiz. [Daniel] Dubois knocked him out with a short overhand right, right? Jake Paul can land one of those shots. He can.”
Johnson pointed out that boxing always allows room for a single punch to change everything.
“Boxing is a sport where everybody’s got a puncher’s chance, that’s why we’re all watching, right? But if Anthony Joshua doesn’t get on his bicycle and start moving around and fight Jake Paul like, ‘Pop, oh, you missed. Pop pop.’ Use that range, start hitting the body, make Jake Paul work, make him miss. Yeah, he can destroy Jake Paul, but I don’t see that happening. … Maybe I don’t know shit about boxing, but I feel that Jake Paul could potentially knock out Anthony Joshua.”
Demetrious Johnson and Sean O’Malley believe Jake Paul can knock out Anthony Joshua 🥊😳
DJ says “I think Jake could knock out Anthony Joshua, he’s been knocked out by some weird shots before”
Sean says “I 100% agree with you, if Anthony Joshua and Jake stand in the middle,… pic.twitter.com/LHCTuifWye
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) December 12, 2025
Looking at Joshua’s History and Why It Matters
Johnson reminded listeners that Joshua has been caught before by unconventional shots. Losses to Andy Ruiz and Daniel Dubois showed vulnerabilities that awkward fighters sometimes expose.
He illustrated the point by comparing it to unpredictable styles inside mixed martial arts.
“I mean, Ngannou, it’s like this: If you spar somebody who’s super technical, who throws straight punches, who throws things orthodox, who throws things straight like a jab, you do well against them,” Johnson said. “But you take a guy like [Dricus du Plessis], his style is so f*cking chaotic, he’s throwing punches like this and shit and he’s beating world-class strikers like Izzy Adesanya, out-striking them. That’s where Anthony Joshua has the hardest time is when he fights people who throw weird shit.”
Johnson continued:
“Like, that shot he got hit with Dubois, it was like the weirdest f*cking shot and everybody’s like, ‘You got knocked out by that?’ Andy Ruiz, he was outboxing him, he was piecing him up, and then Ruiz went like this, threw a combination like that, hit him on the top of the head, knocked him out.
I can see Jake Paul doing the exact same thing to Anthony Joshua.”
Paul Still Faces the Challenge of a Former Champion
Despite his belief in Paul’s ability to land a decisive punch, Johnson also gave credit to the former champion’s experience.
“If Anthony Joshua comes out and fights like he’s been a world champion before and all that experience, he should put Jake Paul to sleep,” Johnson said. via MMAfighting
This fight now stands as one of the most unusual heavyweight pairings in years, and Demetrious Johnson’s breakdown only adds more attention to an already dramatic buildup.
