Tyson Fury makes U-turn on Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua prediction as fight edges closer

YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul will fight Joshua, a former two-time heavyweight champion, on 19 December

Tyson Fury has changed his mind on Jake Paul’s chances against Anthony Joshua, it seems, with the “Gypsy King” offering a fresh prediction for next week’s strange showdown.

On 19 December, YouTuber-turned boxer Paul will fight Joshua, a former two-time world heavyweight champion, in a professional contest in Miami.

The heavyweight bout is scheduled for eight three-minute rounds, with knockouts allowed and each man wearing standard 10oz gloves. “AJ” will not be allowed to weigh more than 245lb on the day before the fight.

But whatever the rules, Fury had already gone on record to predict that Paul, 28, would knock out Joshua, 36.

However, Fury has seemingly changed his mind, telling Ooosch TV on Instagram: “I think it’ll go the distance, and I think it’ll be a move-around and a points job.”

While Fury, 37, did not specify who he thought would win, a victory for Joshua might keep alive fans’ dreams of an overdue, all-British clash between the pair in 2026.

Jake Paul (left) staring up at Anthony Joshua at their launch press conference (Getty)

“Listen, I don’t know what’s gonna happen in 2026, but we’re gonna find out, you know?” Fury added. “It’s just around the corner. If it is to be, come back to boxing, there’s a lot of massive fights out there to be made.”

Fury was referencing the fact that he announced his retirement in January, a month after suffering the second loss of his professional career – a second-straight defeat by Oleksandr Usyk. Fury has since been linked with a return to boxing but remains coy on the matter.

“There’s the Joshuas, there’s the Usyk trilogy, there’s Fabio Wardley, there’s Daniel Dubois, there’s [Deontay] Wilder, there’s everybody,” Fury continued. “Everybody who’s out there, if I come back, then them fights may be potentially to happen next year.”

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Paul is 12-1 as a pro, with his sole loss coming at the hands of Fury’s half-brother Tommy in 2023. Tommy, also known for his time on the reality television show Love Island, beat Paul on points.

Tyson Fury at Jake Paul’s fight with his brother, Tommy Fury, in 2023 (Getty Images)

While Paul holds multiple wins over former UFC fighters, as well as former boxing champions Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Mike Tyson, his bout with Joshua represents an altogether-different test. When Paul outpointed Tyson last November, the latter was 58 years old.

Paul’s last fight was his victory over Chavez Jr, while Joshua has not fought since September 2024, when he suffered a stoppage loss to Dubois. Dubois dropped his fellow Briton four times en route to victory at London’s Wembley Stadium.

Still, Joshua has significant pedigree as a former Olympic gold medalist and two-time unified world heavyweight champion. Fury himself is a former two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified belts earlier in his career and then the WBC title from 2020 until 2024.