Anthony Joshua reveals new look after rare weight cut for Jake Paul fight
Joshua accepted an unusual 245-pound limit as he prepares to face Paul on a global Netflix card in Miami.
Anthony Joshua has made the weight. The British heavyweight, long accustomed to fighting without limits on the scale, has dropped to 245 pounds ahead of his high profile showdown with Jake Paul. Joshua shared images of his physique this week to prove the cut is complete, signaling that the bout has demanded a level of discipline rarely required in his professional career.
Bodies tell stories. Some are written with scars and injuries, others with transformation. For most of his career, Joshua has never treated the scale as an opponent. Heavyweights do not bargain with numbers, and weight limits are usually a concern for fighters in lower divisions. That changed with this fight.
A rare weight restriction for Joshua
On Friday this week in Miami, Joshua steps onto a card that will be streamed worldwide on Netflix, facing Paul under a negotiated cap of 245 pounds. It is the first time in his career that Joshua has agreed to a formal weight restriction.
At various points in his career, Joshua has weighed as much as 255 pounds on fight night. During negotiations, the limit was framed as a sporting concession, a way to balance an event that lives somewhere between elite boxing and mass entertainment. In practice, the cut became both a physical project and a symbolic one.
Recent images of Joshua training and sweating in the sauna show a leaner, more defined version of the former champion. Less bulk, more purpose.
The numbers still favor AJ
Even with the cut, the size gap remains obvious. In his most recent fight against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Paul weighed in at 191 pounds. Joshua’s adjustment narrows the difference slightly, but it does not erase it.
Still, Joshua agreed to reshape his body to enter a business projected to generate more than $100 million, where every variable is carefully calibrated. Weight, broadcast platform, storyline and setting are all part of the equation.
Joshua has said he is now walking around at 245 pounds and feels physically prepared for the challenge.
How Joshua dropped weight
To reach that condition, Joshua trained with Oleksandr Usyk’s team in Valencia, Spain. There, he committed to double sessions, pool work, metabolic adjustments and careful load management. He explained the process on his YouTube channel with a simple philosophy: surround yourself with winners.
Training time is now essentially over. The clock runs toward protocol. The weigh in. Media obligations. The lights.
One more detail surfaced in recent days. Promoter Eddie Hearn admitted he initially exaggerated Joshua’s weight during talks with Paul’s team. He claimed Joshua weighed 290 pounds when the real number was closer to 265. The move was designed to lock in the clause, with Hearn confident Joshua could make the cut without draining himself.
A reset moment for Joshua
The fight also represents a turning point. Joshua has not competed since September 2024, when he was knocked out in the fifth round by Daniel Dubois. An injury sidelined him for much of 2025.
The bout with Paul serves as both a reentry and a launchpad. If all goes to plan, Joshua hopes it sets up a long awaited clash with Tyson Fury in 2026.
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