{"id":368016,"date":"2025-12-25T12:53:14","date_gmt":"2025-12-25T12:53:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/368016\/"},"modified":"2025-12-25T12:53:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-25T12:53:14","slug":"ex-ufc-champion-raises-questions-about-outcome-of-jake-paul-vs-anthony-joshua","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/368016\/","title":{"rendered":"Ex-UFC champion raises questions about outcome of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua"},"content":{"rendered":"

Former UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling has some serious questions about how the boxing match between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua played out. <\/p>\n

With no UFC event last weekend during the promotion\u2019s lengthy hiatus<\/a> ahead of 2026, most combat sports fans occupied themselves by watching a Friday night boxing event headlined by the heavyweight bout between Paul and Joshua. <\/p>\n

The card also saw UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva stop former UFC titleholder Tyron Woodley<\/a> in the second round. In the night\u2019s main event, Joshua struggled to corner Paul during the early going before he finally connected cleanly with his opponent\u2019s chin in the sixth round and brought things to an end.<\/p>\n

Aljamain Sterling Questions Anthony Joshua’s Performance vs. Jake Paul<\/p>\n

The Paul vs. Joshua matchup has generated a mixed bag of reactions from the combat sports community<\/a>, and current top-ranked UFC featherweight contender Sterling was surprised to see the bout go on as long as it did. <\/p>\n

READ MORE: Ex-UFC champion torches promotion for booking Paddy Pimblett title fight at UFC 324<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019ve got this Olympic-level, high-caliber level, world-class boxer in Anthony Joshua, who looks like he’s playing with his food, and people are sitting there eating it up,\u201d Sterling said on his YouTube channel<\/a> (h\/t MMA Junkie<\/a>). \u201c’Oh, Jake’s doing a really good job. He’s moving his feet. He’s staying away.’ I’m just like, ‘Oh, you’re telling me [Joshua] forgot how to cut the ring off?’\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Anthony<\/p>\n

Anthony Joshua fights Jake Paul during a heavyweight boxing bout at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

A former heavyweight boxing champion, Joshua represented a seismic step up for Paul after the 28-year-old took unanimous decisions over Julio C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez Jr. and a 58-year-old version of Mike Tyson in his two previous boxing matches. <\/p>\n

“That Should Not Have Gone That Long”<\/p>\n

Sterling did go on to give some credit to Paul for stepping into the ring with Joshua, but \u201cFunk Master\u201d isn\u2019t convinced that there wasn\u2019t some sort of deal in place to make sure the fight went beyond the first few rounds. <\/p>\n

\"Jake<\/p>\n

Jake Paul is hugged by his brother Logan Paul after losing to Anthony Joshua during a heavyweight boxing bout at Kaseya Center. | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe there’s a lot of people putting money on going past three or four rounds, or something like this. I gotta speculate and wonder about all these other small little details, but I can’t bring myself to grasp\u2026I give [Paul] respect. He got his jaw broken. You can\u2019t fake that. But that’s what should have possibly happened in the first round\u2026That should not have gone that long.\u201d<\/p>\n

READ MORE: UFC knockout king claims heavyweight kickboxing champion passed on UFC 324 fight<\/a><\/p>\n

Paul will presumably be sidelined for an extended period while his jaw heals up, but the influencer-turned boxer has already suggested he\u2019d be open to meeting former UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou in the boxing ring next. <\/p>\n

\"Aljamain<\/p>\n

Aljamain Sterling during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

MMA fans are also still waiting to see what\u2019s next for Sterling as 2026 and the UFC\u2019s new deal with Paramount approaches. Currently the promotion\u2019s #5-ranked featherweight contender, Sterling defeated two-time title challenger Brian Ortega<\/a> in his only outing of the year in August. <\/p>\n

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