The idea sounds ridiculous on paper. A YouTuber-turned-boxer facing off against a former two-time heavyweight champion usually results in a predictable outcome, and most fans have already written the script in their heads. December 19 in Miami is supposed to be another moment where reality finally catches up with Jake Paul.

But not everyone is buying that certainty. As the boxing world watches Anthony Joshua vs. Jake Paul with disbelief, one respected combat sports voice is openly questioning whether the fight is as one-sided as everyone believes. And it’s not coming from a clickbait pundit or a social media troll; it’s coming from a UFC GOAT who has seen enough chaos in fighting to know better than to speak in absolutes.

Demetrious Johnson backs Jake Paul

Demetrious Johnson did not mince words while expressing his opinion. “I think Jake can knock him out,” he told Sean O’Malley on his YouTube channel, before doubling down. “I think Jake’s taking it serious. I think Jake can knock him out. I’m going to go on record right now.” And Johnson’s argument isn’t based on hype or fandom. It’s based on patterns.

“Anthony Joshua’s been knocked out by some weirda– shots before,” he said, citing Andy Ruiz and Daniel Dubois. “Dubois knocked him out with a short overhand right. Jake Paul can land one of those shots. He can.” ‘Mighty Mouse’ believes it is not about who is more accomplished. It’s about how boxing works when styles clash.

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“Boxing is a sport where everybody’s got a puncher’s chance,” he said. Johnson sees danger if Joshua does not stay disciplined: moving, jabbing, and maintaining distance. “If he doesn’t get on his bicycle… yeah, he can destroy Jake Paul, but I don’t see that happening.” The UFC legend also used a familiar MMA analogy.

He emphasized how technically sound fighters sometimes suffer against chaos, comparing Joshua’s previous knockouts to strikers who were clipped by unexpected opponents. “That’s where Anthony Joshua has the hardest time,” Johnson explained. “When he fights people who throw weird s—.” The UFC legend, however, was not pretending this was likely.

‘Mighty Mouse’ made it clear that if Joshua fights like a seasoned champion, Jake Paul is unlikely to last long. But that’s the tension in this matchup: would Joshua box safely or make a statement? “Maybe I don’t know s— about boxing,” Johnson said with a laugh. “But I feel that Jake Paul could potentially knock out Anthony Joshua.” And in a sport based on unpredictability, the idea alone is enough to make many uneasy. In fact, another combat GOAT joined the conversation, giving some serious advice to Jake Paul.

Manny Pacquiao hands Jake Paul a 5-word tip to win

That uncertainty is precisely why Pacquiao’s reaction was so different. While Johnson entertained the idea of chaos flipping the script, Manny Pacquiao showed little interest in the idea. When asked about Jake Paul’s chances, the boxing icon laughed. Not dismissively, but with the type of disbelief that comes from someone who has seen every version of the sport.

‘Pac Man’ believes that the fight itself already tells a story, one he has seen many times before. Nonetheless, when asked for advice, Manny Pacquiao did not overcomplicate matters. He reduced it to five words. “He has to train hard,” Pacquiao stated, providing the most straightforward answer possible.

No mention of angles, power, or strategy. Just preparation. The underlying message was clear: there are no shortcuts when competing against Anthony Joshua. If there is even a slight chance, it begins long before fight night. Pacquiao did not dwell on hypotheticals, nor did he argue that belief alone could close the gap. His tone reflected realism rather than mockery.

Train harder than ever, and give yourself permission to survive the moment. Whether that is sufficient is another thing entirely. But between Johnson’s openness to unpredictability and Pacquiao’s brutal realism, Jake Paul finds himself caught between two truths: possibility on one side and probability on the other.