Daniel Cormier, former UFC champion and respected analyst, has weighed in on Jake Paul’s recent fight against Anthony Joshua at the Kaseya Center in Miami. Paul, the YouTube star turned professional boxer, faced Joshua, a two-time unified heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist. The bout ended in Round 6 after Paul was dropped and ultimately finished by a powerful right hand.
Many observers speculated about the possibility of an upset, but Cormier was clear from the start.
“Some people believe in fairytales,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “Whoever believed that Jake Paul was going to win, that was an absolute fairytale. … There was never a world in which Jake Paul was going to beat Anthony Joshua. It was always a matter of how the fight would end.”
Why Cormier Believes Paul Was Outmatched
Cormier noted that Paul had previously targeted older or retired UFC athletes in his boxing career, but stepping into the ring with one of boxing’s top heavyweights was a different challenge entirely. Joshua’s skill, size, and punching power made it nearly impossible for Paul to pull off a victory.
“In the sixth round, you could just tell this fight was over,” Cormier said. “You knew that Anthony Joshua was going to eventually land something that hurt Jake Paul. … That right hand, oh my God. He took all of that right hand. You could see in his face. He was like, ‘OK, now I understand boxing. Now I understand, like, at its worst, what boxing can be’ because he got hit clean by one of the biggest punchers, acclaimed, lots of accolades, world champion heavyweight, and he went down and didn’t get up.”
Cormier also emphasized that the fight highlighted Paul’s courage in stepping up to a much more experienced opponent, despite the clear mismatch.
“And honestly, I was hoping he didn’t get up because it was only going to get worse,” Cormier added, reflecting on the severity of Joshua’s punches and Paul’s inexperience at this level of boxing.
This fight marked a significant moment for Paul, who sustained a broken jaw in two places during the bout and required surgical repair. The outcome further cemented Joshua’s status as one of the top heavyweights of his generation while offering a sobering lesson in the difference between professional boxing and influencer-led matches.
