Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul came face-to-face for the final time on Thursday night in Miami after successfully making weight ahead of their highly anticipated heavyweight clash.
Anthony Joshua tipped the scales at 243.4 pounds, safely under the 245-pound limit stipulated in the contracts. Paul, who usually competes at cruiserweight, weighed in significantly lighter at 216.6 pounds.
The bout takes place at 1 a.m. (Nigerian time) at the Kaseya Centre, Miami, with the eight-round contest sanctioned as a professional fight, meaning knockouts are fully permitted. If Joshua drops Jake Paul, the American will have the standard 10-count to convince the referee he is fit to continue. Should Paul survive the distance, three judges will score the fight before a winner is declared.
Most observers expect the British-Nigerian heavyweight to add another early stoppage to his record, with many predicting the contest will not go beyond the opening two rounds.
The weigh-in also cleared the way for the co-main event, where unified junior lightweight champion Alycia Baumgardner came in at 129.2 pounds. Challenger Leila Beaudoin weighed 130 pounds, with all other fighters on the card also making weight.
Joshua, returning for the first time since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last September, has spoken openly about carrying the expectations of boxing purists against a rival many see as an outsider. Paul, meanwhile, continues to insist he is capable of delivering what he calls the biggest upset in sporting history.
The event will be streamed globally, with Nigerian fans able to follow the action live on streaming platforms.
Date: Friday, December 19
Prelims: 9:45 pm WAT (live on Tudum)
Main card: From 1:00 am WAT, early Saturday morning in Nigeria (streaming on Netflix)
Location: Kaseya Centre, Miami, Florida
