Jake Paul blames lack of preparation for knockout loss to Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul stepped into the ring with former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua, but things didn’t go as planned for the 28-year-old. During the December 19 event, streamed on Netflixthe internet personality held his own against the English-born boxer for the first five rounds. However, it was in the sixth round that things took a turn for the worse, as Jake received a violent right hand to the face, knocking him out and handing him the second defeat of his professional career. After the fight, Jake praised Joshua as an incredible athlete and gave the fighter all the credit he deserves. Now that he’s had a few days to think, the “Untold: Jake Paul” star shared with his brother, Logan Paul, what he would change about the fight if he could.

In the latest episode of Logan’s “Impaulsive” podcast, Jake spoke with his brother about the highly anticipated showdown. According to Jake, the moment Joshua knocked him out in the sixth round was entirely “mental.” He said: “He was forcing his will on me and being massive, and the big punches landing, it went downhill from there.”

Jake, who has fought Nate Diaz, Mike Tyson and Julio César Chávez Jr., also reflected on what he would have done differently if given the chance. “I wish I had more than three weeks to prepare and build more muscle,” he admitted. “Sit there and hit it. I should have gone to altitude to practice, that was my biggest mistake.”

Altitude training, for those unfamiliar, involves training with less oxygen at higher altitudes to increase endurance. “I needed that extra level of cardio for that, and that can only come by going to altitude,” he said.

After the fight, Jake shared a post on Instagram revealing that his jaw was broken in two places. He thanked his supporters for their well-wishes and later said he was fine. On “Impaulsive,” Jake clarified that he wasn’t surprised by Joshua’s power, but he joked that he “surprised my jaw.”

Despite the loss, Jake didn’t seem too upset about the match. In fact, he acknowledged the unique experience before sharing that he “learned a lot” from the fight. “I see where I could have done better,” he added. “I’m a little disappointed, but I see how good he is.”

Meanwhile, NFL legends Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson weren’t as surprised by Joshua’s strength in the ring. Speaking on their popular podcast ‘Nightcap’, the couple praised Jake for joining Joshua; However, they said the former Disney Channel star was underprepared for the moment. Sharpe agreed with Jake’s previous statements about being underconditioned. Johnson, for his part, said Jake was “overwhelmed” after realizing he “bit off more than he could chew.”

A month before the fight, Jake bragged about his ability to defeat Joshua in the ring. “This is not an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day. A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime,” he said, according to The explosion. “When I beat Anthony Joshua, all doubt disappears and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title,” he continued. “To all my enemies, this is what you wanted.” While Jake didn’t get the result he was hoping for, Joshua tipped his hat to the YouTuber, saying he did “very well” against a competitor like him. “It takes a real man to do this, and he deserves respect for trying and trying and trying. But he went up against a real fighter tonight,” he added.