Boxing

Jake Paul's Indefinite Suspension After Anthony Joshua Fight Raises Questions

Jake Paul is dealing with a suspension in the aftermath of his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua.
Grant Young|
Jake Paul
Jake Paul | IMAGO / Pro Shots

Jake Paul had his jaw broken in two places after his knockout loss to Anthony Joshua on December 19.

While Paul took the punch incredibly well in hindsight, and was a good sport about it in the fight's aftermath, that didn't change anything in terms of the serious injury he had suffered.

Paul went into surgery shortly after leaving the ring that night and provided an update with a December 20 Instagram post that read, "Surgery went well thanks for all the love and support. 2 titanium plates on each side. Some teeth removed. Have to have only liquids for 7 days so no @doghausdogs :(".

Paul appeared on his brother Logan's podcast later that week and was clearly struggling to speak clearly. He ultimately left the podcast after less than 15 minutes because he was in pain, which didn't bode well for how he felt.

What's for sure is that a broken jaw is an extremely concerning injury for a professional boxer. There are numerous instances of guys who were never the same after getting their jaws broken in the ring, as any punch to the affected area could create even more damage.

Jake Paul receives indefinite suspension after loss to Anthony Joshua

Jake Paul
Jake Paul | Esther Lin / Most Valuable Promotions

These concerns about his jaw are surely why Jake Paul has received an indefinite medical suspension from the Florida Athletic Commission, which Damon Martin of MMA Fighting reported on January 4.

Despite this suspension being indefinite, that doesn't mean Jake Paul can never fight in Florida again. It just means the commission will need proof that Paul's jaw is all right before sanctioning another one of his bouts.

Jake was present at the Amanda Serrano vs. Reina Tellez fight on January 3 and was asked about how his jaw is healing.

"Yeah, I got four plates in my jaw. But, you know, that's part of the sport. And the healing process has been a little bit tough. I'm a little bit tired, it's hard to sleep, I go onto a pillow, and then my jaw twerks up," Paul said, per an X post from @BOXINGnBBQ.

This medical suspension raises the question of when Paul will be able to fight again. It doesn't seem likely that he'll be cleared to compete until the second half of 2026, and he might want to wait even longer than that until he's sure his jaw isn't at risk of re-injuring itself.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young is a Staff Writer for On SI’s Boxing, New York Mets, Indiana Fever, and Women’s Fastbreak sites. Before joining SI in 2024, he wrote for various boxing and sports verticals such as FanBuzz and NY Fights. Young has a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in creative writing with an emphasis on sports nonfiction from the University of San Francisco, where he played five seasons of Division 1 baseball. He fought Muay Thai professionally in Thailand in 2023, loves a good essay, and is driven crazy trying to handle a pitpull puppy named Aura. Young lives in San Diego and was raised in the San Francisco Bay Area.