Jake Paul suffered a brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua, a fight that ended with a double fracture of his jaw. Now, the YouTuber-turned-boxer has confirmed a major shift in his career following the British star’s dominant victory.

For weeks leading up to the bout, Paul expressed confidence in his ability to defeat Joshua. The fight, however, played out very differently. Joshua overwhelmed him with size and power, scoring a knockout and leaving Paul with serious injuries.

Following the shocking outcome, Paul underwent surgery to repair his broken jaw. Despite the severity of the setback, he made it clear that his boxing career is far from over.

Jake Paul set to return to cruiserweight after KO loss

Jake Paul’s choice of opponents has often drawn scrutiny. He was initially scheduled to face Gervonta Davis this December, a natural lightweight who would have been at a major size disadvantage against Paul.

When that bout fell apart, Paul pivoted to an even more dangerous challenge—Anthony Joshua, an Olympic gold medalist and former heavyweight world champion. This time, Paul was the one at a clear disadvantage.

The physical gap was impossible to ignore. Beyond Joshua’s superior experience, his height, reach, weight, and punching power proved decisive. In the aftermath, Paul has decided to make a significant adjustment to his career path.

On Instagram, Paul shared photos from the fight along with a message outlining his next move: “Great experience. I love this sport. Time to rest, recover, and return to cruiserweight. Who do you want to see me fight?”

What weight class does Canelo Alvarez fight in?

Even after suffering a double jaw fracture, Paul has not backed away from calling out Canelo Alvarez. However, weight remains a major obstacle to making that matchup realistic.

Paul has confirmed his intention to compete at cruiserweight (200 lbs), while Alvarez currently fights at super middleweight (168 lbs). The Mexican star has competed as high as light heavyweight (175 lbs), which still falls well short of Paul’s preferred division.

For now, Paul’s focus appears to be on recovery—and a return to a weight class that better suits his frame as he looks to rebuild after the toughest loss of his career.