Jake Paul Not Going Back to Ring Soon as Anthony Joshua KO Leaves Him With Second Jaw Surgery

Jake Paul is expected to step away from the boxing ring for the foreseeable future after requiring a second jaw surgery following his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in December last year. The setback has raised questions about when the influencer-turned-boxer might fight again.

​The 29-year-old prominent YouTuber suffered the injury during his heavyweight bout against Joshua on 19 December 2025, which was held in Miami. Joshua, a British former heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist, ended the bout in the sixth round, leaving the American with a broken jaw that required immediate surgery.

​According to doctors, Paul's jaw had been fractured in two places. This urged surgeons to insert titanium plates and remove some of his teeth during the procedure. Paul also had to adhere strictly to a recovery plan, which included a liquid diet immediately following the surgery.

Comeback Delayed Post Second Surgery

​On 21 February, Paul revealed that he had undergone another surgery on his jaw via an Instagram post explaining that some of the hardware placed during the first procedure had become loose. The post was captioned, 'Had to get another jaw surgery. The screws and plates were coming loose because apparently I didn't rest for the past 2 months whaattttttttt.'

​Jake Paul told reporters at a press conference for the Ronda Rousey-Gina Carano event that doctors advised him it could take four to six months before he can resume sparring, significantly delaying any potential return to the boxing ring.

​Paul said, 'I ‌got my second surgery recently and the doctor said it will be four, five or ​six months to even be able ​to spar to see how the ?bone is healing. So that puts us maybe late this year or early next year for a fight,' per Reuters.

​The extended recovery timeline means the YouTuber is unlikely to compete again until late this year or early next year, depending on how well the bone heals, ESPN reported.

A Heavyweight Lesson

​Jake Paul's 2025 fight against Anthony Joshua was one of the most high-profile bouts of his career, thrusting him against a seasoned, elite heavyweight. The former two-time world heavyweight champion had difficulty containing Paul in the opening rounds but eventually secured victory with a decisive right hand in the sixth. This resulted in Paul requiring surgeries for a broken jaw.

Johnny Nelson, a Sky Sports expert, told the news outlet that Paul was presented with a 'serious reality check' in his knockout loss to the British boxer. Nelson said, 'I think he realised the task in hand when he stood there in the 22-foot ring. He sees an Adonis of a fighter, former world champion Anthony Joshua, in the other corner and that's when reality hit fiction.'

​Nelson also said a reality check was exactly what Paul got. 'I thought 'you've got to make this kid have a reality check' and that's what he actually did,' he stated.

​Following his loss to Joshua, Paul has suggested he may return to cruiserweight, the division where he previously competed, rather than continuing to face naturally larger heavyweights. He stated, 'Joshua's punches hurt way more than people in my weight class. That's where I'm best at, for sure, and where I want to continue to climb in the rankings and make some statements.'