MIAMI – Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua is official, and even with signed contracts, a press conference, and a face off, fans are still in disbelief.

Paul, an influencer turned professional boxer, has been boxing fellow influencers, aging or retired MMA fighters and former boxers, including most notably a nearly 60-year-old Mike Tyson. Now, for his 14th professional bout, Paul has taken an enormous step up in competition – both literally and figuratively.

On Dec. 19 at Kaseya Center, Paul will take on Joshua – a former two-time unified heavyweight boxing champion and a 2012 Olympic gold medalist. Joshua, 36, was fighting for a world title as recently as his last fight in 2024, and is still considered one of the best heavyweights in the world today.

Paul will have an opportunity to score arguably the biggest upset in boxing history and shock the world. But what exactly is in it for Joshua, who, for many observers, finds himself in a lose-lose situation?

"You've got ability, and you have marketability in boxing," Joshua said, explaining to MMA Junkie and other reporters his decision to box Paul. "Now, unfortunately how it goes, is that you can have the two best fighters with the best ability, but they don't have marketability, so they won't be able to showcase their talent to the world because broadcasts aren't interested and fans aren't interested. So what we need to do is bring the marketability into the ability realm. That's why I always try to focus on bringing eyes into the sport.

"Young boxers, I always say, 'Don't wait until you become a champion to announce the world who you are.' It's too late then. You need to get people to follow you, so by the time you're a champion, everyone is ready to buy a ticket. 'I want to see this guy. He's in town.' That's why we need to bring the marketability aspect. I looked at it and said, 'Wow. This is a great opportunity to showcase myself to the whole world. God willing, I get the job done, and I hurt Jake in spectacular fashion and get a victory.' All that market then comes over to me, and I can focus on other fighters that have pure ability and need this promotion."

Joshua has been on the top of the boxing world for many years, fighting top-notch talent like Oleksandr Usyk, Wladimir Klitschko, Daniel Dubois, and others. He's expected to run through Paul, as he holds every advantage on paper: size, skill and experience.

When asked if his confidence is at an all-time high given the caliber of opponent he's facing, Joshua didn't put down Paul.

"I don't want to focus on it being about Jake, 'Oh, Jake is small so that makes me confident. Jake is this, so that makes me confident,'" Joshua said. "I just focused on myself. I'm confident in myself. He could be 10 feet, and I'm confident in myself. It's not about how he is. I've got a good tea. I've been through ups and downs. I've stood the test of time. I'm passionate. I'm hungry, and I'm here to fight my heart out. I'm confident."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Why fight Jake Paul? Anthony Joshua makes perfect sense of it