Jake Paul’s boxing profession faces an prolonged pause after the Florida Athletic Fee issued an indefinite medical suspension on Sunday following his devastating sixth-round knockout loss to Anthony Joshua on December 19 on the Kaseya Middle in Miami.
Jake Paul Suspended After Anthony Joshua Loss
Paul suffered a double fracture to his jaw when Joshua unleashed a powerful right hook in the final round. Joshua scored a total of four knockdowns throughout the bout, two in the fifth round and two more in the sixth, before the referee halted the contest. The YouTuber-turned-boxer drove himself to the hospital instantly after, the place medical employees confirmed fractures in two separate areas on his jaw.
The severity of Paul’s damage required surgical intervention. On Saturday, December 20, Paul posted from his hospital mattress confirming the process went easily. Surgeons fitted two titanium plates on all sides of his mouth and extracted a number of enamel to accommodate the plating. “Simply received out of surgical procedure. The whole lot went easy,” Paul wrote on social media. “A lot of ache and stiffness. Gotta eat liquids for 7 days.”
The Florida Athletic Commission’s decision means Paul cannot return to competitive boxing until he receives full medical clearance from a licensed physician. This standard protocol applies to serious facial injuries.
Tyron Woodley, who appeared on the identical card and was knocked out by Anderson Silva inside two rounds, obtained a 30-day suspension, a significantly shorter timeline than Paul’s indefinite standing. Different fighters from the December 19 occasion confronted various bans, with Justin Cardona receiving a 60-day suspension and Camilla Panatta and Yokasta Valle every getting 30 days.
MVP CEO Nakisa Bidarian indicated Paul‘s bodily restoration timeline might span 4 to 6 weeks earlier than the boxer is cleared to renew coaching. Paul’s formidable post-fight feedback about returning to cruiserweight and pursuing a world title have now been shelved. The setback coincides along with his elimination from the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings on December 31, ending his transient tenure at No. 14 following his July entry after defeating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Paul’s knockout loss marked his first ever in 14 professional bouts and his second career defeat overall. The gap in experience and size, Joshua weighed 26.8 pounds more and stood five inches taller, proved insurmountable, despite Paul lasting longer than many analysts predicted. Joshua’s scorecards showed complete dominance, with judges awarding him every round before the knockout, including a brutal 10-7 score in the fifth round after the double knockdown.
Paul acknowledged Joshua’s superiority in the moments following the defeat. “Anthony’s a great fighter. I got my ass beat but that’s what this sport’s about,” Paul said during a post-fight interview while visibly injured. His team now focuses on his medical recovery while the boxing world assesses what comes next for the controversial fighter whose unorthodox path has consistently challenged sport conventions.
