Tom Aspinall calls Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua ‘good for all of us’ despite fan backlash

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall doesn’t understand the critics of the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua boxing match.

Jake Paul and former heavyweight boxing titleholder Anthony Joshua are hours away from squaring off in the ring on Friday night in Miami. The upcoming fight marks easily the toughest test of Paul’s boxing career, and would be an all-time upset in boxing if he gets it done against Joshua.

Ahead of the fight, the Paul vs. Joshua matchup has drawn mixed reactions. Paul’s detractors are hoping for a brutal knockout at the hands of Joshua, while some question Joshua’s decision to fight Paul instead of fighting another heavyweight contender.

All questions will be answered Friday night in Miami, and UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is keeping a keen eye on the action, despite the haters.

Tom Aspinall: All combat sports fans should rally around Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua

In a recent segment on his YouTube channel, Aspinall responded to those questioning the ethics of Paul vs. Joshua.

“I don’t get the notion that this hurts Anthony Joshua’s legacy and hurts boxing,” Aspinall said of Paul vs. Joshua. “If anything, I think it does really well for boxing. I think that it’s going to be the most eyes of any fight this year on this.

“This is obviously a boxing fight. This is a combat sports fight. This is good for all of us. MMA, boxing, kickboxing, whatever combat sports you’re into. Although from the outside it looks a bit funny, I think it rises us all up a little bit.”

Joshua returns to the ring for the first time since a knockout loss to Daniel Dubois last year. He’s reportedly set to box heavyweight great Tyson Fury at a major event promoted by Riyadh Season in 2026.

Meanwhile, Paul is looking to earn the biggest win of his career after recent victories over Mike Tyson and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. As for what’s next for Aspinall, he’s set for a likely rematch with Ciryl Gane after their controversial UFC 321 fight.