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Anthony Joshua's headline-grabbing heavyweight bout with Jake Paul will take place next month in Miami, it has been confirmed.
Daily Mail Sport understands the fight, which will be held on December 19 at the Kaseya Center, will carry a £140million prize pot with an even split between the two-time heavyweight world champion and the 28-year-old YouTuber.
The eight-round bout, which will be streamed on Netflix just six days before Christmas, marks the first fight for Joshua, 36, since he was crushed by Daniel Dubois 14 months ago.
'Jake or anyone can get this work. No mercy,' Joshua said in a statement.
'I took some time out and I'm coming back with a mega show. It's a big opportunity for me. Whether you like it or not, I'm here to do massive numbers, have big fights and break every record whilst keeping cool, calm and collected. Mark my words, you'll see a lot more fighters take these opportunities in the future. I'm about to break the internet over Jake Paul's face.'
Meanwhile Paul, who has a record of 12 wins and one loss - against Tommy Fury - since moving into boxing, declared the fight as 'Judgment Day' as he vowed that 'Britain's Goliath' will be 'put to sleep'.
Anthony Joshua's headline grabbing heavyweight fight with Jake Paul has been confirmed
Eddie Hearn claimed Joshua was seeking a tune-up fight but the lucrative offer on the table for a fight with Paul convinced him to prioritise those negotiations
The fight with Paul (pictured with brother Logan) will be a full professional contest and will air on Netflix, with DAZN heavily compensated to allow Joshua to compete on a rival platform
'This isn't an AI simulation. This is Judgment Day,' he said.
'A professional heavyweight fight against an elite world champion in his prime. When I beat Anthony Joshua, every doubt disappears, and no one can deny me the opportunity to fight for a world title.
'To all my haters, this is what you wanted. To the people of the United Kingdom, I am sorry. On Friday, December 19, under the lights in Miami, live globally only on Netflix, the torch gets passed and Britain's Goliath gets put to sleep.'
Paul beat 58-year-old Mike Tyson on points last year and most recently defeated former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr by unanimous decision in June.
The Youtuber-turned-boxer had originally been scheduled to take on Gervonta 'Tank' Davis at the same venue on November 14, but the event was cancelled following Davis' arrest.
The world lightweight champion was accused of battery, aggravated battery, false imprisonment, kidnapping and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The allegations resulted in the cancellation of the planned 195lb exhibition, prompting Paul to seek a new opponent for a rearranged December date.
And his much-rumoured opponent has now been confirmed as former unified heavyweight world champion, Joshua, who he will compete against with 10oz gloves.
Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn had previously indicated that Joshua was seeking a tune-up fight after his defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley. He said AJ had been lining up a top-100 opponent for November, but the lucrative offer on the table for a fight with Paul convinced him to prioritise those negotiations instead.
Hearn also outlined a longer-term plan for Joshua to have one or two more bouts before a potential showdown with Tyson Fury in 2026 - an event Turki Alalshikh has publicly expressed interest in delivering.
Joshua has already agreed to terms for the Fury fight, though it remains unclear whether Fury, currently claiming to be retired, has done the same.
Alalshikh hinted that progress was being made when he appeared on DAZN's broadcast of the Chris Eubank Jr vs. Conor Benn rematch.
Hearn confirmed that Joshua's clash with Paul will be a full professional contest fought at heavyweight under Queensberry rules, not an exhibition.
It has also been confirmed that the bout will air on Netflix despite Joshua's long-standing exclusive deal with DAZN.
According to reports, DAZN was compensated heavily to allow Joshua to compete on a rival platform.
A press conference for the fight between Paul and AJ is due to take place in Miami on Friday afternoon.
