Former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has made clear he has no regrets about the damage he inflicted on Jake Paul in their December 2025 heavyweight bout, Sports Extra reports.
The British-Nigerian was asked about Paul’s potential retirement, and he responded with a cold smile and a simple declaration.
“I think that’s what was asked of me, and I think I delivered,” he said on the Mr Verzace Podcast.
Joshua broke Paul’s jaw in two places in the sixth round of their fight in Miami, leaving the YouTuber-turned-boxer with two titanium plates fitted and a professional record of 12-2.
Paul has been on the sidelines ever since, and recently acknowledged to journalist Ariel Helwani the possibility that his boxing career could be over.
Speaking ahead of his return fight against Kristian Prenga in Saudi Arabia on July 25, Joshua revealed he had been given a clear mandate going into the Paul bout.
“There was a strict message that was given, and a task that was laid upon me, and that was to get rid of Jake Paul and remove him from our beloved sport,” he said.
“Whether that took me one round or six rounds, I believe the job was well and truly done.”
Joshua also credited the fight with reigniting his career after more than a year away from the ring following his knockout defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.
“I come back to Miami on the biggest stage, and people see that light, that vibrant energy. A lot of people said, ‘That’s the guy we knew,’ and it felt good to be back.”
Shortly after the Paul fight, Joshua was involved in a fatal car crash in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two close friends and team members, Sina Ghami and Latif Ayodele. He was a passenger in the vehicle at the time.
His sights are now set on Prenga in July, before what is expected to be a blockbuster all-British showdown with Tyson Fury later in the year. Fury returned from a 16-month absence in April with a points victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov, and a deal for the Fury-Joshua fight has since been confirmed by both Frank Warren and Eddie Hearn, with a November date expected.
Joshua insists the fight, while significant, is just one of many he wants before he is done. His long-term goal, he says, is a third world heavyweight title.
“I need another title,” he stated.
“I made a decision for myself. This is my purpose. I’m talented, I’m quite smart, I can do a lot of things, but I want to use all my energy and align my focus and just be a champion again.”