Eddie Hearn reveals the incredible weight loss Anthony Joshua must undergo in just three weeks to be fit to fight Jake Paul

Anthony Joshua isn't expected to work up too much of a sweat when he fights Jake Paul next month, but that is certainly not the case in the build-up to it.

The former two-time heavyweight world champion takes on the YouTuber-turned-boxer in Miami at the Kaseya Center on December 19 - with the duo set to split a prize pot worth £140million evenly.

The eight-round fight will be contested in three-minute rounds and with 10oz gloves. However, perhaps the most eye-catching stipulation is that there is a 245lbs weight limit, despite it being at heavyweight.

Joshua has weighed more than 250lbs in each of his last five fights and his promoter Eddie Hearn has admitted 'AJ' still has some way to go before meeting the weight limit, just a little over three weeks out.

The Brit is currently weighing around 265lbs, meaning he has to lose 20lbs, but Hearn believes that the figure could've been worse if it wasn't for his good negotiating skills, telling Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian that Joshua was weighing around 290 pounds in order to get more favourable terms.

'I spoke to [Joshua] and he was sitting at 265 pounds or something like that. I think I told Nakisa that he was 290 pounds or something like that,' he told BBC 5 Live.

'I said I'm not interested in balloon gloves and two-minute rounds but he said it was a real fight. I asked if it was 10 rounds or eight rounds, they said fine to eight.

'They said: 'The only thing is that Jake will weigh about 220 pounds and we want AJ to come down in weight.'

'He's a heavyweight and hasn't cut weight before. They said: 'Look we're not being funny and it's not that we need an advantage but we need you to have some disadvantage.''

In the build-up to his comeback fight Joshua has revealed he has turned to Oleksandr Usyk's team to prepare him for Paul.

The Briut has not fought since his knockout loss to Daniel Dubois at Wembley in September 2024 and has adjusted his training set-up for his return, working alongside the team behind two-time unified heavyweight world champion Usyk, who beat him on points in 2021 and 2022.

'I was invited to train with Team Usyk,' Joshua said. 'He's one of the best in the world, and it's not all down to him.

'It's also down to the team that's around him, so I've linked up with them and got a great insight into someone who has achieved so much. It's been a great experience and it's very challenging.'