Can Jake Paul fight Anthony Joshua with a broken nose? Doubts swirl around December showdown

Jake Paul walks around with a crooked nose and a calendar that seems to be devouring the days as he counts down to his Dec. 19 showdown in Miami against former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua. Each day of camp has added a new layer of uncertainty. First came the punches that left his septum visibly skewed. Then came outside voices pushing the idea of a possible cancellation. Still, the American keeps moving forward.

“My nose is getting more crooked, bro. Training with heavyweights, my nose has shifted a couple of millimeters during this camp,” Paul admitted in an interview on The Pat McAfee Show.

After beating Julio César Chávez Jr. in June, Paul wanted a leap that would break algorithms, sales records and long-held assumptions. He tried to make a fight with Gervonta Davis, but the plan collapsed amid domestic violence allegations that froze any talks. At that point, Paul and his company, MVP, opened the checkbook with an offer north of $30m – according to a Forbes interview with promoter Eddie Hearn – to convince Anthony Joshua to accept a fight few saw coming.

Paul’s preparation has come at a physical cost that shows every time he points to his face on camera. He has been sparring with heavyweights who dwarf him in muscle mass. Lawrence Okolie, Jared Anderson and Frank Sánchez have all been part of the camp. It was one of those exchanges with Sánchez that left his nose even more off-center, something Paul detailed in his conversation with McAfee.

Rumors of a canceled fight

The chaos flared when a former heavyweight champion spread a rumor that set forums and headlines alight.Bermane Stiverne claimed he had heard the fight was off – that Paul was injured and the camp was in alarm.

“I just heard he got injured and it’s not going to happen,” Stiverne said, according to a quote relayed to me by representatives of the organization and echoed across several outlets. “I don’t know. I recently found out it was canceled. I don’t know what’s going on. Lawrence Okolie gave him a black eye or something like that, and from what I heard, the fight won’t go ahead after the sparring sessions.”

Paul responded without dropping his theatrical pose. He insists the date remains intact and downplays any issues. He argues that Joshua won’t be able to line him up for a knockout and even went as far as predicting he will beat the Brit before the sixth round ends in Miami.

“I don’t think Joshua can knock me out because he won’t be able to line his punches up correctly to land a big shot,” Paul said when asked about the real risk of facing a man who outweighs him and brings vastly more experience.

Combat sports commentator Chael Sonnen dismissed Stiverne’s rumor outright. He labeled it irresponsible and baseless, noting that with so much money at stake, nobody walks away without absolute certainty. Netflix is broadcasting the card from Miami’s Kaseya Center and is hoping to reach figures similar to those generated by the Mike Tyson–Jake Paul event.

Almost simultaneously, Paul sparked another episode of confusion among boxing and entertainment fans. He teased a major announcement, prompting many to think he would pull out of the fight. Instead, it was the signing of Caroline Dubois to MVP Promotions. She is the sister of Daniel Dubois, who knocked out Joshua in September 2024.

Dec. 19 now looms as the night when it will become clear whether the doubts trailing Paul were merely smoke and mirrors or genuine signs of wear. It will also reveal whether Joshua still has his competitive fire – or whether his recent path has left deeper scars than the visible ones.

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