What-if scenarios never really stop in boxing, and this one is no different. With Anthony Joshua inching toward his long-awaited return (his last outing being that September 2024 loss to Daniel Dubois), the idea of a Jake Paul matchup suddenly feels more real than anything Paul has faced so far. Add in the fact that both fighters are reportedly set to make around $92 million each, bringing the total purse to a staggering $184 million, and you’re looking at the kind of blockbuster event boxing fans rarely get.

And here’s where it gets even wilder: if Jake Paul beats Joshua, and with Tommy Fury having already beaten Paul, fight math lovers would immediately jump to the conclusion that Tommy Fury is better than Anthony Joshua. That’s exactly the kind of conversation former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping leaned into on his recent podcast. The 46-year-old didn’t bother dressing it up when he reacted to the news on November 15. “It’s a win-win for Jake Paul, and this is kind of a lose-lose, right?” he said.

Michael Bisping further broke it down in simple terms. “Because if he [Anthony Joshua] wins, people are still going to say, ‘Well, you only beat Jake Paul, right?’ The man that lost to Tommy Fury after all, right?” he said. He then pointed to the only blemish on the 12-1 boxer’s record and added, “You’re telling me that Tommy Fury is going to beat him [Jake] and then Anthony Joshua is not going to beat him?”

Moreover, the 46-year-old didn’t hold back when breaking down why all the pressure now falls on Anthony Joshua. He explained that if the Olympic gold medalist beats Jake Paul, “he gets no credit,” but if he loses, it would be “the biggest downfall of any boxer’s career.” Bisping made his stance clear, saying, “There’s no way on this earth that Jake Paul can beat Anthony Joshua in a boxing match.” Still, it leaves fans wondering: can The Problem Child really not win by any chance?

From a technical standpoint, Anthony Joshua may be a step past his prime, but his résumé and physical advantages speak for themselves. He’s nearly five inches taller and roughly 45 pounds heavier than Paul, a massive gap that would normally end any debate before it starts.

Even so, AJ can’t afford to show up half-prepared. A fight like this would put his reputation directly at risk. On the other side, Jake Paul has been fully active this year, training for a bout with Gervonta Davis and securing a win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., giving him momentum and confidence heading into any potential matchup.

Interestingly, Tommy Fury, the only fighter to hand El Gallo a loss, has already made his thoughts known. Speaking to The Stomping Ground, he dismissed the matchup entirely, calling it “ludicrous.” He added, “Even if AJ had a broken arm, it still wouldn’t go past a minute.” To him, the idea isn’t just unrealistic, it’s unsafe.

Anyway, safety concerns aside, Michael Bisping believes there’s another major reason this matchup shouldn’t be officially sanctioned, and why it belongs strictly in exhibition territory instead.

Anthony Joshua stands miles ahead before the first bell

Michael Bisping didn’t hold back when talking about the potential matchup. He argued that “Eddie Hearn is chatting some sh-t,” insisting the fight shouldn’t be sanctioned under any circumstances. To him, “Jake Paul versus Anthony Joshua is almost as bad as sanctioning Gervonta Davis vs Jake Paul,” and he reminded fans that athletic commissions were already hesitant because of the huge size gap. As Bisping put it, Joshua typically weighs “around 265–270 lbs,” giving him roughly a 50-pound advantage from the start.

He went on to break down the numbers even further. Bisping guessed that if Jake Paul actually fought Anthony Joshua, he might show up “about 220 lbs,” maybe “225 lbs” if he bulked up with the best strength and conditioning team behind him. He even joked that Paul could “become a proper fat bas—-” and come in heavier, but added that even then, the weight difference would still land somewhere around 30–40 pounds, an enormous disadvantage in a real, sanctioned fight.

Because of that, Bisping believed a regulated bout makes no sense. The mismatch is too large, too risky, and too far outside what athletic commissions are comfortable approving. In his view, that’s exactly why this kind of fight belongs nowhere near the official record books.

Instead, Bisping thinks the matchup will “probably end up being an exhibition.” And if that’s the case, he has no issue with it. Exhibition fights are built for entertainment, not knockouts, and he sees this one as a chance for both fanbases to tune in, enjoy the spectacle, and treat it more like Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson on Netflix than a serious competitive fight. That said, do you think a Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua fight should even be sanctioned, or is an exhibition the only realistic option?