Jake Paul faced one of the biggest challenges of his boxing career on Friday in Miami, suffering a brutal sixth-round knockout at the hands of Anthony Joshua. The bout left Paul with a serious injury, including a broken jaw, and reignited discussions about his performance and career trajectory.
Despite the decisive outcome, speculation about the legitimacy of the fight quickly circulated online. Critics claimed the bout was “fixed” due to Joshua’s status as the far superior boxer, arguing he should have ended the fight earlier. These allegations have followed Paul throughout his career, often sparking heated debates across social media.
Speaking to Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” on Monday, MVP co-founder Nakisa Bidarian addressed the claims directly. “Our lawyers are actively going after a number of people,” Bidarian said, emphasizing that legal action is being pursued against those spreading false narratives about the fight.
Legal action underway against critics
Bidarian shared examples of posts alleging the fight was staged, including one that claimed Joshua had agreed not to knock out Paul but then disregarded the supposed arrangement.
Though he did not specify all individuals involved, Bidarian referenced promoter Lou DiBella, who publicly questioned the fight’s authenticity. “Lou DiBella… said, ‘Nakisa, go ahead and sue me, but this wasn’t a real fight. [Joshua] was pulling punches, he wasn’t giving it his full effort,’” Bidarian said.
Maintaining the integrity of the fight
Despite the controversy, Bidarian stressed that the allegations are unfounded and that Paul’s bout with Joshua was entirely legitimate. “There’s never once in Jake Paul’s career been any talk of that sort of [thing], anything to do with the fight being anything but a real fight. That’s exactly the same situation as any real fight,” he said.
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The bout marked only the second loss of Paul’s career and the first via stoppage, while Joshua rebounded strongly from his previous defeat to Daniel Dubois in September 2024.