I am brave.

Linda Martindale wasn’t brave, at least she didn’t think she was after she had been hired as a varsity boys basketball coach.

“Once the game started, I was fine,” says Martindale, now in her sixth season leading Lincoln-Sudbury (MA), “but walking into the gym and people thinking I’m the scorekeeper or whatever, I had to sort of overcome this feeling of, ‘Do I belong in the gym?’ ”

She made the three words her mantra, and she convinced herself she was brave. You need to be as an athlete, or a coach, in today’s world of youth sports.

“I have fond memories of my athletic career, but I also know there was a lot of heartache and it was very difficult,” says Martindale, who played Division II basketball at Alaska-Anchorage and in the old Pac-10 at Arizona in the late 1980s and early 1990s. “But nowadays, it’s totally different. Your whole career is splashed all over social media.”

Martindale’s father devoted his life to coaching baseball and football, driving her and her three siblings to be punctual and polite. He was hard on them, she says, but led with love.

“If I had a bad game, the people in the stands knew and my parents knew, and that was it,” Martindale tells USA TODAY Sports. “You’d come home and your parents would say, ‘How did the game go?’ You could self-report that. Easy to deal with.

“My oldest son would literally get DMs from strangers that say horrible things if he missed a free throw in the clutch. The landscape is very different. And it obviously trickles down to youth.”

Martindale got certified as a mental fitness coach to help ease the pressure on her three sons and one daughter (all of them have played college sports) but also other young athletes.

She works with sports teams at Division I Holy Cross and D-III Curry College, as well as individual athletes. She says there’s a secret beyond the physical component to playing sports in college.

We offer 10 ways, through consultation with Martindale, for parents to help athletes get there.

1. Develop the coach in your head: It’s the best one you’ll ever have

When Martindale walked into the gym feeling the male eyes on her, she felt she needed an inner coach.

Your coach on the court or field will tell you what to do but, Martindale says, the one in your head will kick you in the butt to help get you where you need to go.

Jenny Levy, who has won four national titles as North Carolina’s women’s lacrosse coach, believes so strongly in an inner coach she likes when her players form their own mantras.  

“Confidence looks good on you,” she heard her players say to each other in 2013, the year they broke through.

“A lot of coaches will say, ‘This is our saying,’ ” Levy told Martindale on Martindale’s ‘Game Changers’ podcast. “And I think that’s fine – to each his own – but I actually let our team organically come up with their own little things. This is the team having a good time together.”

The inner voice tells you it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks, only what you do.

Go for it.

This is my time.

This is where I belong.

To come up with your own mantra, Martindale says, ask yourself why you play a sport? Look for performance cues to grind that thought into you.

“It’s not fun to lose, but it’s still really fun to compete and to play,” Martindale says. “OK, good, let’s start with that. So at least you can say it’s not fun to lose, but it’s really fun to prepare for the game. We’ve now established that the majority of the time is fun. Now we can get through the parts that aren’t fun.”

Was that ‘fun’? How Coco Gauff’s tough US Open embodies what the word means

2. We can learn how to handle the hard

Kids respond to the truth. We don’t need to always sugarcoat it.

Instead of saying, “It’s not so hard,” acknowledge that something is.

Maybe you’re afraid that you might lose or you’re going to make a fool of yourself in front of everybody.

“I’m happy that you can articulate a fear,” Martindale might tell an athlete. “Now, let’s squash it. What are you really afraid of? Is it really embarrassing to lose, or is it embarrassing not to play at all?

“It would be embarrassing if you threw yourself on the floor and screamed and cried in the middle of the game. But nobody thinks it’s embarrassing that you sat on the bench, cheered on your team, and then fought another day to try to get some minutes.”

3. Teach your kid how to build resilience to meet challenges head on

A current role doesn’t mean an ultimate role. Martindale goes back to Tom Brady.

He was once buried deep on Michigan’s depth chart. But he focused on nailing reps he got in practice. He was at game speed when he found himself starting.

“As parents, we say, ‘I don’t think you should have to be the backup quarterback,’ ‘ Martindale says. “ ‘I think you should be the quarterback.’ This is not helping. What you need to do is crush being the backup. And then your time comes and you’re ready instead of spending so much time worrying that you don’t have the role that you want (and) you’re not ready for it.”

Another of her podcast guests, Luke Avdalovic, a former walk-on basketball player at Northern Arizona University, told her: “I had a teammate named JoJo Anderson and he told me, ‘If you want to find a role into this team, find one thing that you’re really good at. Make sure you’re head and shoulders better than every single other person on the team. Then they can’t take you off the floor.’ ”

Avdalovic became a top sharpshooter who rose to the NBA G-League.

4. ‘You can’t be a shooter if you can’t miss’

Avdalovic has shot so much over the years he feels he’s never really in a slump. Some days he shoots better than others, but that is just the law of averages.

“You can’t be a pitcher if you can’t pitch poorly,” Martindale says. “You can’t be a shooter if you can’t miss. It’s just not possible (to) be perfect. So what do you do when you’re imperfect?”

The next time your son or daughter has a bad game, ask them, “Did you compete hard?”

You don’t want them to lose or fail but they need to know how to do both. As parents, and as coaches, our best support can come out of struggles.

5. We can only get the ‘yips’ if we vocalize them

You know the term if you’re a baseball fan. Suddenly, Steve Sax or Chuck Knoblauch can’t make a routine throw from second to first base, or Rick Ankiel can’t throw a strike.

“Yips is not a real thing,” Martindale says.

Struggles come alive, she says, when we say them out loud. Instead, if you’re a parent or a coach, tell your athlete: “I really believe in you. Just keep throwing, you’ll get it back, you’ll find a rhythm.”

When kids feel deep-rooted support, they have more confidence in themselves.

6. We don’t have to be good at everything

Martindale says today’s world for young athletes is like taking the SATs while your score is being put on a scoreboard.

Sometimes, it seems, we expect our kids to be good at everything. Martindale asks the ones with whom she works, “What class are you good at?”

She doesn’t necessarily mean classes in which they have an “A,” but the ones they enjoy most.

Sometimes it takes looking at things through a less critical lens. We have an “A” in science, but we enjoy the challenge of English Lit, in which we have a B-, which energizes us to try and bring up the grade.

7. ‘It’s not your family’: Parents are the ultimate artery of support

Eugene Glisky, Martindale’s father, had his ashes buried on the field where he coached near Toronto. She suspects he changed the lives of many young men.

But she stops short of calling a team a family.

“When a coach says to a parent, ‘I’m gonna treat your son or daughter like my own,’ I want to say, ‘No, thank you. I don’t need you to treat my son like he’s your own,’ ” Martindale says. “He has a great father. What I really want you to do is treat him like a player and a human being.

“It’s a team, which is amazing and I love my kid being part of a team. But it’s not a family. Why? Because what happens when your family cuts you?”

There are times when we need to be Coach, and times when we need to be Mom or Dad. Martindale had to be Coach when Judson, her oldest who now plays basketball for Manchester Basketball Club in the United Kingdom, came out of a game when he was younger and looked at her like, “Why are you pulling me?

He threw his water bottle, and she turned and said: ‘You can take your sneakers off. You’re done.’

The same coach, though, drove him home from a different game, criticizing him for what he didn’t do while failing to realize he was sick.

‘So many examples of total failure by me,’ she says. ‘What kind of mother would be talking to their kid about some offensive set when clearly they needed a mother?’

8. ‘Your influence is not neutral, parents’; don’t disrupt a happy kid

Levy, North Carolina’s women’s lacrosse coach, does parent Zoom calls. Before the first one, she asked her players what they wanted her to tell them.

“They said, ‘We don’t want to talk about the game at the tailgate after,’ ” Levy told Martindale. “ ‘We don’t want any parent to have this sad conversation after the wins because their kid didn’t play. We want the parents to sit together. We want them to be positive on the sideline.’ ”

Levy says the players gave her a Letterman top 10 of parent no-no’s, which she shared on the Zoom.

“I think they were pretty shocked,” says Levy, who coaches her daughter, Kate, on the team. “Our kids were like, ‘Last year was not OK. This is what we want and this is what we need this year.’

“And then if we saw it, I had permission from our players to call the parent and say, ‘Hey, you’re at the tailgate and your behavior was below the line for our program.’

“What if I acted like that as a parent? What if I did that in the middle of a tailgate?”

Levy’s point: A kid could be completely happy but if the parent is unhappy with their role, then the kid’s unhappy. And if the parent isn’t feeling like their kid is getting a fair shake, or they’re being really negative toward coaches or teammates, the kid internalizes the feeling.

“Your influence is not neutral, parents,” Levy says.

9. We can use even a little bit of winning to fuel us

During a clip Martindale shared of her speaking to athletes, she says, “There has to be wins in there. Otherwise, you can’t go an entire season and be like, ‘If we don’t win a game, this whole season is a waste.’ ”

She is not necessarily talking about checks in the “W” column as much as what we perceive as personal wins. Maybe you tell a teammate you loved the way he blocked a punt or moved into position on defense. If we don’t have wins, even within losses, you don’t learn how to win.

10. So what’s the secret sauce?

Martindale believes there are five pillars of mental fitness: 1. Staying in the moment; 2. Controlling the controllables; 3. Seeing mistakes as opportunities; 4. Not judging yourself (or others) too harshly and 5. Comparison (positively).

She says she was once a failure at all of them. Has she since learned a special ingredient we need to have to play college sports?

Martindale thinks Angela Duckworth, director of the Penn-Wharton Behavior Change for Good Initiative, said it best.

“It’s grit,” Martindale has said. “I’m obsessed with grit, because we know it’s a single defining characteristic of successful people.

“Can you get up after you get knocked down? The athletes who are successful at every level of college, I think, have this kind of dog mentality that is about grit. And of course, you have to be skilled and you have to be athletic but when we really look at who performs best when it counts, it’s people who have failed. Over and over and over. And then now they succeed.”

We can’t beat our kids up over mistakes. Let them hear the voice in their head that gives them the grace to move forward from them.

Then, as Martindale says: “Watch them fail and then watch what they do after they fail.”

Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons’ baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His Coach Steve column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here.

Three downhill races this season, three medals for Lindsey Vonn.

Vonn edged Ilka Stuhec for the bronze medal in the downhill Saturday in Val d’Isere, France, finishing 0.04 seconds ahead of the Slovenian. Vonn’s time of 1:41.89 was 0.35 seconds behind winner Cornelia Huetter of Austria.

In only the second weekend of downhill races this season, Vonn already has a complete set of medals.

She got her first World Cup victory since coming out of a nearly six-year retirement last week, winning the first downhill in St. Moritz in commanding fashion. She followed that the next day with a silver in the second downhill.

Now she has a bronze from Val d’Isere.

‘The best way is winning. So it’s not the very best,’ Vonn said, laughing, when asked if this was the best way to start the season. ‘Being on the podium is amazing. If you would have asked me last year if I’d be happy with a podium, I would say (absolutely).

‘I’m just going to keep trying to improve,’ she added. ‘I have 49 more days until the Olympics start. I know I’ll be ready for that.’

Vonn had been solid in training in Val d’Isere, where she has won seven times. But Kira Weidle-Winkelmann of Germany, the first skier in Saturday’s race, laid down the gauntlet with a blistering run.

Vonn had a faster time than Weidle-Winkelmann through the first four sectors of the course. But Vonn got off her line at one point, cost herself precious time in a sport decided by tenths and hundredths of a second. She finished 0.09 seconds behind Weidle-Winkelmann, putting her in second place.

‘I wish I would have skied a little bit better today. I thought I executed the middle section where I didn’t ski well in the training runs,’ Vonn said. ‘But on the bottom, then I made a big mistake and I lost a lot of time, so I was mad at myself for making a mistake.’

Huetter was the next skier to go, and she knocked both Weidle-Winkelmann and Vonn down a spot on the podium with an impressive burst at the bottom of the course.

Still, the podium finish means Vonn will extend her lead in the season downhill standings.

‘In general, I’m really happy with my skiing. I have another podium and I still have the red (leader’s) bib, so there’s a lot to be happy about,’ she said. ‘I’m just looking to improve myself every day, every race. I know I can be better.’

Joining Vonn in the top 10 was fellow American Breezy Johnson, who finished seventh. Jackie Wiles (15th) and Allison Mollin (22nd) also were in the top 25.

Jake Paul stepped into the ring with a quality boxer and it showed.

The main event fight officially came to an end when former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked Paul out with 1:31 left in the sixth round.

Paul was seen with a bloodied mouth after taking a right-handed shot to the face in the corner. Paul quickly fell out of favor during the fight after being knocked down several times.

Paul said during the post-fight interview that he believed he broke his jaw.

Here’s how the fight between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua played out.

Anthony Joshua knocks out Jake Paul

After a big flurry, the holiday roster freeze is here, which means no trades until after Christmas.

There were two big trades on Dec. 11, with the Minnesota Wild acquiring defenseman Quinn Hughes from the Vancouver Canucks, plus the Edmonton Oilers acquiring goalie Tristan Jarry from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for Stuart Skinner.

Then two trades beat the 11:59 p.m. ET freeze deadline on Dec. 19. The Montreal Canadiens acquired center Phillip Danault from the Los Angeles Kings for a second-round pick. The Columbus Blue Jackets sent two draft picks to the Seattle Kraken for forward Mason Marchment.

No trades, waivers or loans can take place until 12:01 a.m. ET on Dec. 28.

Once the freeze lifts, it’s not too long until the trade deadline at 3 p.m. ET on March 6.

With no trades taking place for a while, here’s a look at the best and the worst trades from the first 25 years of the 21st century. Today are the worst trades (best trades can be found here).

8. Hurricanes acquire Mikko Rantanen from the Avalanche

Date: Jan. 24, 2025

Details: The Hurricanes acquire Rantanen in a three-team trade, sending Martin Necas, Jack Drury and draft picks to the Avalanche. Taylor Hall also was sent by the Blackhawks to the Hurricanes as part of the deal.

Analysis: This is more a wait and see. Some context: A year earlier, the Hurricanes also went big and traded for Jake Guentzel only to be unable to re-sign him. They picked up a third-round pick to send his rights to the Lightning. Fast forward a year, and the Hurricanes were equally aggressive. But again, no guarantee of Rantanen re-signing, plus his production fell off in Carolina. The Hurricanes learned their lesson and traded him before the deadline to the Stars, where he had a dominant playoff run.

If you take Rantanen out of the two trades, the Hurricanes moved out Martin Necas and brought in Logan Stankoven. That might end up being better down the road, but not at the moment. Necas is the Avalanche’s No. 2 scorer and signed an eight-year, $92 million contract extension. Hall, a former MVP, has been a good fit in Carolina in the bottom six.

7. Blackhawks trade Artemi Panarin to Blue Jackets

Date: June 23, 2017

Details: The Blackhawks trade left wing Artemi Panarin, forward Tyler Motte and a sixth-round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft to the Columbus Blue Jackets for forward Brandon Saad, goalie Anton Forsberg and a fifth-round pick in 2018.

Analysis: The Blackhawks had signed Panarin to an extension in 2016, so he was under contract, but they still moved him to bring back former Cup winner Saad. The move followed the Blackhawks being swept in the first round. Panarin, the 2016 rookie of the year, continued his rise to stardom. Though there were other reasons in addition to the trade, Chicago missed the playoffs in 2018 and has been back only once.

6. Lightning acquire Tanner Jeannot from the Predators

Date: Feb. 26, 2023

Details: The Lightning acquire Jeannot from the Nashville Predators for a first-round pick in 2025, second-round pick in 2024, third-, fourth- and fifth-round picks in 2023 and Cal Foote.

Analysis: Jeannot showed promise in 2021-22 with 24 goals and 130 penalty minutes, but he had only six goals at the time of the trade. That was a lot of draft capital to spend for a player who scored eight goals in 75 games in Tampa Bay. The Lightning got some of that back by sending him to the Kings in 2024 for second- and fourth-round picks.

5. Capitals acquire Jaromir Jagr from the Penguins

Date: July 11, 2001

Details: The Capitals acquire Jagr from the Penguins for Kris Beech, Ross Lupaschuk and Michal Sivek.

Analysis: This was a splashy move under owner Ted Leonsis, especially since Jagr had just picked up his fifth scoring title with 131 points. But he wasn’t able to repeat that in Washington, never getting out of the 70-point range. The Capitals also signed him to an eight-year, $88 million contract, the richest in the NHL at that time. They ended up retaining millions of that when they dealt him to the Rangers in January 2004.

Jagr, of course, will be a Hall of Famer after he stops playing in the Czech league. The three players the Penguins picked up in the trade didn’t amount to much.

4. Flyers trade Sergei Bobrovsky to the Blue Jackets

Date: June 22, 2012

Details: The Flyers trade Bobrovsky to the Blue Jackets for a second-round pick and two fourth-rounders.

Analysis: The Flyers had Ilya Bryzgalov in net and Bobrovsky reportedly didn’t want to re-sign as a backup. But the trade immediately looked bad because Bobrovsky won the Vezina Trophy in his first season in Columbus. It looked worse when the Flyers bought out Bryzgalov in 2013. Bobrovsky would win another Vezina in Columbus and has won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in Florida. And what’s the common refrain in Philadelphia? If only their goaltending were better.

3. Capitals acquire Martin Erat from the Predators

Date: April 3, 2013

Details: The Capitals acquire Erat and Michael Latta from the Predators for Filip Forsberg.

Analysis: The Capitals won their division that year and Erat seemed like a good missing piece for a playoff run. But he and the Capitals were knocked out in the first round. Erat was traded the following season and Forsberg has developed into a star in Nashville.

2. Islanders trade Roberto Luongo to the Panthers

Date: June 24, 2000

Details: The Islanders traded Luongo and Olli Jokinen to the Florida Panthers for Oleg Kvasha and Mark Parrish.

Analysis: The Islanders moved Luongo because they had drafted Rick DiPietro No. 1 in the 2000 draft. Luongo had played one season at the time and DiPietro showed plenty of promise. But Luongo became a Hall of Famer and DiPietro’s career was disrupted by injuries. DiPietro was given a 15-year contract averaging $4.5 million in 2006, the Islanders bought him out in 2013 and are paying him $1.5 million a year until 2029.

1. Islanders trade Zdeno Chara to the Senators

Date: June 23, 2001

Details: The Islanders acquire Alexei Yashin from the Senators for Chara, Bill Muckalt and a 2001 first-round pick.

Analysis: The Islanders moved out another future Hall of Famer from their roster. Chara was still developing and Yashin was an established star, but the Islanders eventually bought out Yashin’s contract. Chara had a successful career that included a defenseman-record 1,680 games, seven All-Star appearances, a Norris Trophy and a Stanley Cup (in Boston). The first-rounder that Ottawa acquired was used to draft Jason Spezza.

Jake Paul stepped into the ring with Anthony Joshua and didn’t get the result he wanted in the Netflix main event on Friday night.

“I think my jaw is broke, by the way,” Paul said during his in-ring interview. ‘It’s definitely broke.”

Paul did not take part in a post-fight press conference as he went to the hospital to address the injury, per MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura. A video of Paul shared on social media appeared to show Paul’s back teeth misaligned with his front teeth.

Joshua was credited with knocking Paul down on multiple occasions during the contest.

Paul was not fully discouraged about his boxing future following the loss, but said he would take some time off to recover and figure out his next fight.

Paul sustained a bloodied mouth after Joshua delivered a right-handed punch to the face in the corner. Paul dropped to the ground and the fight was declared over by the referee.

‘The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him,’ Joshua said during an in-ring interview. ‘… It took a little bit longer than expected. But, the right hand finally found its destination.’

No. 9 Alabama climbed out of a 17-0 hole and beat No. 8 Oklahoma 34-24 to advance to the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff. It was the first road win for a team in the playoff in the second year of the 12-team format.

The Crimson Tide will next face No. 1 seed Indiana in the Rose Bowl. The 17-point comeback matches the largest in playoff history set by Georgia against Oklahoma in the 2018 national semifinals at the Rose Bowl.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson completed 18 of 29 attempts for 232 yards and two touchdowns without an interception, carrying an offense that couldn’t produce on the ground.

The rematch of Oklahoma’s defense-driven 23-21 win against the Crimson Tide in early November – one that launched the Sooners off the periphery of the playoff race and into at-large position – took on a much different feel by halftime.

The Sooners scored first on a touchdown run by quarterback John Mateer with 5:29 left in the first quarter. Oklahoma added a 51-yard field goal by Lou Groza Award winner Tate Sandell to lead 10-0 after the opening quarter.

After forcing another Alabama punt, Oklahoma then went 63 yards in eight plays, ending with a touchdown pass from Mateer to Isaiah Sategna III, to lead 17-0 just over four minutes into the second quarter.

Alabama would respond with a barrage that left the game tied at halftime.

First, Simpson’s 10-yard touchdown pass to Lotzeir Brooks cut the lead to 17-7 with 6:52 left in the quarter. On fourth down on the next possession, Oklahoma punter Grayson Miller fumbled when dropping the ball toward his foot, setting up the Tide at the Sooners’ 30-yard line and resulting in a 35-yard field goal by kicker Conor Talty to make the score 17-10.

Worse was to come: Back to pass on second down near midfield with just over a minute left in the half, Mateer was intercepted by Alabama’s Zabien Brown, who went 50 yards for a touchdown to even the score.

While things slipped away in the final seven minutes of the second quarter, Oklahoma went into the break outgaining the Tide by 136 yards while giving up just a single third-down conversion and -3 rushing yards.

But Alabama’s run continued into the third quarter. After forcing a punt, the Tide went 60 yards in three plays, ending with Simpson’s 30-yard touchdown pass to Brooks, to take their first lead at 24-17. A freshman, Brooks finished with five catches for 79 yards.

Another Oklahoma three-and-out led to a nearly five-minute Alabama drive that resulted in a 40-yard field goal and a 27-17 lead. The Sooners entered the playoff having allowed 27 points just twice during the regular season and gave up a combined 19 points in wins against Missouri and LSU to end the regular season.

Alabama gained 106 yards in the third quarter after gaining 100 yards in the first half and held Oklahoma to just 37 yards and two first downs.

But the Sooners began to regain their composure in a drive bridging the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth, with receiver Deion Brooks taking a short Mateer completion 37 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the final quarter. The score was set up by an Alabama pass interference penalty on the previous play.

While the Tide barely inched past midfield on their next drive, Blake Doud’s punt went out at the Sooners’ 7-yard line. After a costly offsides penalty on third down, Oklahoma’s 32-yard punt set up Alabama at the 40-yard line with 9:14 remaining.

Four plays later, running back Daniel Hill’s 6-yard touchdown pushed Alabama’s lead back to double digits at 34-24 with 7:24 to play.

This time, Oklahoma didn’t have a response. Needing at least a field goal to stay within a possession with time running out, the Sooners’ next drive ended with Mateer sacked on third down by Alabama defensive lineman Kelby Collins.

Regaining possession with 4:52 remaining after an Alabama punt, Oklahoma converted one fourth down with a 38-yard Mateer completion but opted for a 36-yard field goal attempt on a second fourth-down try with 2:53 to play. Amazingly, Sandell missed for just the second time this year in 26 attempts.

Sandell would also miss a 51-yarder in the final two minutes that ended any chance of an Oklahoma comeback.

Anthony Joshua delivered what legions of Jake Paul haters have been waiting for.

A crushing knockout of the former YouTuber.

Joshua knocked down Paul four times and finished him off in the sixth round of their heavyweight fight Friday at the Kaseya Center in Miami. “The end goal was to get Jake Paul, pin him down and hurt him,’’ Joshua said during an in-ring interview. “…It took a little bit longer than expected. But, the right hand finally found its destination.” 

Paul, the YouTuber, predicted he would shock the world with a victory over Joshua, the former heavyweight champion. Instead, the 28-year-old Paul got knocked down for the first time of his pro career – and knocked out, too – by the 36-year-old Joshua. Paul landed some hard shots, but Joshua looked unfazed.

In the sixth round, after going down for the fourth time, Paul failed to reach his feet before the referee counted to 10.

Paul finished the fight conscious but with blood in his mouth and defeat on his face. ‘I think my jaw is broke by the way,” Paul said during his in-ring interview with Ariel Helwani. ‘It’s definitely broke.” He added, ‘Anthony’s a great fighter and I got my ass beat. But that’s what this sport is about.’’

Anthony Joshua did take time to applaud Paul: “He got up, time and time again. It was difficult in there for him. But he kept on trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that.’’

A heavy underdog heading into the fight, Paul found himself at a crossroads.

He was 12-1 with seven knockouts. But, almost six years after his pro debut, he still faced skepticism about his skill level, largely because he’d beaten a collection of suspect opponents. The roster included a YouTuber, a retired NBA player, MMA fighters and aging boxers.

Now the skepticism will continue.

Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight highlights

Badly beaten Jake Paul, ‘I had a blast’

Although Paul said his jaw was broken, he smiled during an in-ring interview after the fight.

“Yeah, I’m feeling good,’’ he said. “That was fun. I love this sport. I gave it my all. It’s (expletive) crazy. I had a blast.’

A badly beaten Paul seemed in good spirits. “Man, that was good, he said. ‘I just got an ass whupping from one of the best to ever do this.’’

Looking to the future, Paul was optimistic.

“Oh, yeah. For sure,’’ he said, adding that he plans to fight people at his own weight and go for the cruiserweight world title.

Jake Paul injury update on possible broken jaw

Paul was knocked out in the sixth round of the fight and told Ariel Helwani during the post-fight interview that he would be taking a break to recover.

“I think my jaw is broke, by the way,” Paul said during his in-ring interview. ‘It’s definitely broke.”

Joshua was credited with knocking Paul down on multiple occasions during the contest.

According to MMA Junkie’s Danny Segura, Paul will miss the postfight press conference and in on his way to the hospital.

Jake Paul fight results: ANTHONY JOSHUA WINS by KO

At 1:31 in the sixth, Anthony Joshua finished off a gassed Jake Paul. An ugly fight ends with Paul on the canvas, where he spent a good amount of time on Friday night.

Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight results, analysis

Round 1: Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua? Are you kidding me?! Ladies and gentlemen, it’s on! Paul is sidestepping and keeping a distance from Joshua. Joshua throws a jab, and another as he bears down on Paul. Paul looking at Joshua’s feet. Paul lefts an awkward jab. Paul throws a right and back comes a fierce one that misses. Joshua trying to cut down the ring, Paul throws an overhand right that fails to get through. Paul gets wrapped up with Joshua and falls down. Ugly. Joshua doing his best to catch up with Paul. Joshua throwing no punches and Paul lands a jab. Paul stays on the move, Joshua throws a hard right and it grazes Paul. Then he scores with a jab. Paul looks scared. Joshua looks calm. Joshua 10, Paul 9.
Round 2: Joshua quicker to chase down Paul. Reach out with his left. Joshua connects with a right and just missed with another big one. Paul is running. Paul moves forward behind a left. Joshua corners Paul but Paul slips away and gets wrapped up. Boos. Paul lands a right to the body. He’s showboating now. But running. Joshua lands a left and Paul rushes out. Joshua struggling to find the right distance. Paul better have marathon stamina. More boos. Joshua digs in with a right and has Paul in the corner. But the round ends before he can capitalize. But Paul looks scared. Joshua 20, Paul 18.
Round 3: Paul gets wrapped up with Joshua but not for long. He’s on the move again. Paul lands a left and Joshua drills Paul with a right to the body. Paul almost falls down as he backpedals. Paul tries a right uppercut. He looks spent even as he jabbed Joshua. Joshua is pounding away as they get wrapped up again. Paul is hanging onto the ropes. Desperate to stay on his feet and avoid Joshua’s power. Joshua not showing much urgency, but Paul doing less. Joshua 30, Paul 27.
Round 4: Joshua scores with a jab and Paul responds with a hard right that misses. Paul hangs on to Joshua before falling to the canvas. Paul lands a right and a left and again falls to Joshua’s feet. Referee warns Paul. He gets tangled up with him again. Joshua looks increasingly stymied. Paul tumbles to the canvas again. Joshua lands an uppercut. Paul throws an uppercut of his own and ends up on the canvas again. Paul appears to have gotten hit with a low blow and he’s getting time to recover. The “low blow’’ was Joshua’s left knee as they fell to the canvas. Paul connects with a left but falls to the canvas again. Referee warns them both. Referee calls it “crap.’’  Joshua 39, Paul 37.
Round 5: If this were wrestling, Paul might be prevailing. The round begins and Paul immediately wraps up Joshua. Joshua lands a huge right and Paul is on his feet. But he clings to Joshua again as he hits the canvas. Paul lands a right and throws another. The fight is on! Joshua lands a hard body short and Paul looks wobbly. He grabs at Joshua’s legs again. It’s a knockdown! He’s on his feet and running again. Paul is down again! On his feet again. 40 seconds to go. Paul looks exhausted. Paul lands a hard right but takes one too. Joshua whaling away and Paul survives! Two knockdowns but the fight continues! Joshua 49, Paul 44.
Round 6: Paul running again, into the corner and Paul gets hit hard! Paul is down again. He’s up and on it goes. Paul throws a hard right. Joshua looks fresh and rocks Paul. Paul wags his tongue at Joshua and throws a weak left. Joshua lands a huge right and it’s over!!! Joshua wins by KO!

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua ring walks

Anthony Joshua comes out wearing a sleeveless camouflage top and camo trunks. On the way to the ring, he’s in no mood to dap hands with fans reaching out over metal barriers.

Jake Paul parades with Daniel Hernandez, controversial rapper Tekashi69. He looks as hyped as his hype man. Paul is wearing a cartoonish red and yellow ensemble and sporting yellow sunglasses.

How will Jake Paul fight end? Rory McIlroy has a prediction

Golfer Rory McIlroy, the five-time major winner, is at the fight and made a cameo on the Netflix livestream.

“Look, I commend Jake for taking this fight,’’ he said. “He’s very brave.’’

But asked for a prediction, McIlroy cited Joshua’s advantage with height, reach and experience.

“Look, I’m a big fight fan,’’ McIlroy said. “I just can’t see any other result than an early knockout by Joshua.’’

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: American hero?

In his locker room before the fight, Jake Paul was wearing a red T-shirt emblazoned with yellow letters spelling out “American Made.’’

It appears Paul will try to get American fans behind him when he fights Anthony Joshua, the British heavyweight.

That would mark a shift for Paul, who is almost always treated by the crowd as the villain.

Alycia Baumgardner def. Leila Beaudoin by unanimous decision

Baumgardner outpunched and outclassed Beaudoin while defending her unified super featherweight world title in a 12-round fight.

Baumgardner knocked down Beaudoin at the end of the seventh round. But Beaudoin refused to give in.

In fact, she landed hard shots in the 11th round. But her fight only revealed Baumgardner’s elite skills.

With a variety of punches, Baumgardner pummeled Beaudoin and left significant swelling on her face.

The judges scored the fight 117-110, 117-110 and 118-109 for Baumgardner, the 31-year-old American who improved to 16-1.

Beaudoin, a 29-year-old Canadian, fell to 13-2.

Alycia Baumgardner vs. Leila Beaudoin, super featherweight world title

Round 1: Leila Beaudoin comes out firing her jab. Alycia Baumgardner in no hurry to attack but she throws the left jab. Baumgardner scores with an overhand right and she connects with a body shot. Perhaps the three-minute rounds in this bout will slow the action. So much for the pugilistic sprint. Baumgardner 10, Beaudoin 9
Round 2: Both fighters come out still looking hesitant. There’s no prolonged engagement. But Baumgardner is striking more regularly and revving up. Beaudoin’s reddened face is evidence of that. Baumgardner 20, Beaudoin 18.
Round 3: Baumgardner comes out with more aggression as the hesitance appears to have waned, although she’s exhibiting defensive awareness. Beaudoin is showing some swelling under her left eye. Those punches from Baumgardner appear to be no joke. Baumgardner 30, Beaudoin 27.
Round 4: Baumgardner looking elite with precision punches. Baumgardner looks fresh. Beaudoin, not so much. And the swelling on her face has worsened. Baumgardner continues to fend off Beaudoin’s punches and land her own. Baumgardner 40, Beaudoin 36. 
Round 5: Is Baumgardner willing to open up and go the knockdown? We’ll see. Beaudoin lands a nice right, then lands a left. She’s showing life. But now she has swelling on the top of her head. Beaudoin bulls forward and Baumgardner whales away and she appeared to be stunned getting caught by a hard Baumgardner punch. Baumgardner 50, Beaudoin 45.
Round 6: Pop-pop-pop, Baumgardner firing jabs again. The fighters get tangled up, and Beaudoin surely would prefer a little wrestling. Or a lot. Baumgardner attacks the body and she’s unfurling right uppercuts. Baumgardner 60, Beaudoin 54.
Round 7: Beaudoin still has life. The question is can she get close enough and be accurate enough to hurt Baumgardner.  Baumgardner keeps scoring and Beaudoin’s face keeps swelling. Baumgardner lands a HARD right and drops Beaudoin at 2:59 of the round! But she’s up on her feet and the fight will continue. Baumgardner 70, Beaudoin 62.
Round 8: Swollen and battered, Beaudoin comes out for Round 8. The referee rushes in when Beaudoin appears to try to pick up Baumgardner and…dump her on the canvas. Baumgardner was too quick and agile for that, and now the fighters are mixing it up. The Baumgardner beating is relentless. Baumgardner 80, Beaudoin 71.
Round 9: The pace slows, before Beaudoin charges forward and Baumgardner starts firing her punches. Beaudoin lands a right and suddenly is under attack again. Baumgardner displays sharp defense and relishes it. Baumgardner 90, Beaudoin 80.
Round 10: Beaudoin refusing to give in – against better judgement? Maybe fatigue is setting in for both boxers with the three-minute rounds. Beaudoin lands and pays the price. Baumgardner answers with crisp combinations. Baumgardner 100, Beaudoin 89.
Round 11: Beaudoin throwing punches, and that keeps Baumgardner in attack mode. She digs shots into Beaudoin’s body. Yet more body shots. Beaudoin lands two hard shots and then digs into the body. Wow. Hard shots. Baumgardner 109, Beaudoin 99.
Round 12: Beaudoin needs a knockout. Can she channel her Round 11 power? Beaudoin pushes Baumgardner into the ropes. Roughing her up? Baumgardner still throwing hard shots, but clearly aware of Beaudoin’s power too. Baumgardner lands the wicked left jab again, and boy does Beaudoin’s face look swollen. Beaudoin whaling away and connects with her right. The fists are flying as the fight comes to a close. Baumgardner 119, Beaudoin 108.

Celebs take to Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight

Jake Paul keys to victory

When Jake Paul was asked by Ariel Helwani before the fight what the key to victory over Anthony Joshua was, Paul replied, “I think it’s frustrating him, boxing on the outside and exposing the fact that he has a bad defense. And landing my big power shots that I’ve hurt people with. Gotta hurt him. Gotta put him down. Got to put him to sleep.’’

Who did Jake Paul lose to?

Jake Paul suffered his only defeat as a pro boxer against Tommy Fury in 2023. Though Paul knocked him down in the eighth and final round of the fight, he lost by split decision. The judges scored it 76-73, 74-75, 76-73 in favor of Tommy Fury, younger brother of former world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

What is Jake Paul listening to before fight?

Jake Paul appeared to be listening to something on AirPods before the fight, and inquiring minds wanted to know what.

The inquiring mind of Ariel Helwani on Netflix’s livestream, that is.

“I’m listening to meditation music,’’ Paul said. “Just staying calm, keeping the heart rate low. And when the bell rings I’ll be ready to turn it up.’’

What time is the Jake Paul fight tonight? Ring walk

Jake Paul takes on Anthony Joshua in a card that starts at 8 p.m. ET. The main event will start at about 10:30 p.m. ET.

Anderson Silva def. Tyron Woodley by TKO

Silva, among the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, deepened his legend.

The 50-year-old Silva beat the 43-year-old Woodley, former UFC champion. The victory came by TKO when he knocked him down with one minute and 33 seconds into the second round of their cruiserweight fight.

Silva landed a righthanded uppercut and followed it with two right hands before Woodley collapsed to the canvas.

Though Wooley got back on his feet, he looked woozy and the referee quickly stopped the bout that was scheduled for six rounds.

Anderson Silva vs. Tyron Woodley, cruiserweight

Round 1: Boxers look a tad tentative here. Maybe they need to limber up considering Anderson Silva is 50 and Tyron Woodley is 43. Lots of standing. Ah, here come the boos. Woodley throws three overhand rights, but nothing lands. Silva works Woodley into a corner and throws a left. Now he might need an IV to recover. Woodley 10, Silva 9.
Round 2: Woodley comes out throwing rights and jabs and Silva looks alive, too. Silva backing Woodley into a corner again. He fails to capitalize. Silva looking for one big punch? There it is! Silva drops Woodley! The knockout was a right hand uppercut followed by two more rights to the head. He’s up and looks ready to continue. Not sure Woodley knows where he is. And the referee halts the fight! It’s over. Silva by TKO! 

How old is Anderson Silva?

Silva turned 50 years old on April 14. He will take on Tyron Woodley, who is 43 years old.

Anderson Silva UFC results

Silva is highly regarded as a mixed martial artist, boasting a 34-11-0 (1 no contest) record from 2000 to 2020.

He lost his last three MMA fights, including one to Israel Adesanya, before making the move back to boxing in 2021. — James Williams

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua attire revealed as boxers arrive

The boxers have arrived at the Kaseya Center.

Paul came in all black, Joshua in camouflage.

Paul also had what appeared to be a black walking stick and iced-out chains.

Jahmal Harvey def. Kevin Cervantes by unanimous decision

Somehow, Harvey failed to medal at the 2024 Olympics. It’s harder to know why after his second pro fight.

Harvey, the 23-year-old American, put in a gold-medal worthy performance with a dominating victory in a six-round super featherweight bout.

Harvey scored a knockdown in the first round, and the only suspense after that was whether he could score a knockout. Despite an impressive combination of offense and defense, the answer was no.

All three judges scored the fight 60-53 as Harvey improved to 2-0. Cervantes suffered his first loss and fell to 5-1.

Jahmal Harvey vs. Kevin Cervantes fight results

Round 1: Jahmal Harvey comes out firing his jab, and he scores multiple times. Then he connects with another flurry. No sign of Kevin Cervantes’ KO power yet. Harvey dominating, connects with a left and down goes Cervantes! Quickly up on his feet and he looks fine. Harvey increasing the pressure. Harvey looks speedy, accurate and assertive. Cervantes offering little in return. Harvey 10, Cervantes 8
Round 2: Harvey lands a left uppercut and his punches look potent. Harvey pouring it on. Cervantes looks befuddled, or maybe just overmatched. Harvey now attacking the body, too. Harvey 20, Cervantes 17.
Round 3: Cervantes finally throwing punches, and with some authority, But Harvey responds quickly, with a combination and jabs. Harvey revving up and Cervantes hit the canvas. It’s a slip, but it’d be no surprise if he ends up there again. Harvey looks determined to finish this fight. Harvey 30, Cervantes 26.
Round 4: Harvey tattooing Cervantes, stalking. About the only thing that’s eluded Harvey is the big shot, the KO punch. Otherwise, he continues an exceptional performance. Incredible footwork. Harvey 40, Cervantes 35.  
Round 5: How did Harvey not medal at the 2024 Olympics? He’s feinting and firing and looks gold-medal worthy to me. Connecting with powerful shots to Cervantes’ body. Cervantes throws a wicked right and misses. Is that a sign of danger for Harvey? Harvey 50, Cervantes 44.
Round 6: Time for Cervantes to swing for the fences. That could be difficult with Harvey demonstrating impressive offense and defense. Harvey keeps the pressure on. Cervantes fires big shots, off the mark. Harvey not playing it safe. Turns out there was no need to. Harvey 60, Cervantes 53.

Jake Paul addresses his haters

On Jake Paul’s X account earlier this day, up went this post:

To my supporters – thank you.

To my haters – thank you.

To my team – thank you.

To all the fighters – thank you.

To Netflix – thank you.

To boxing – thank you.

To GOD – THANK YOU

TONIGHT WE SHOCK THE WORLD

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua expectations

The boxing community is expecting and demanding a knockout from Anthony Joshua in the first or second round, according to David Haye, the former cruiserweight world champion.

“Anything other than that, people are going to start asking questions of Anthony Joshua,’’ Haye said on the Netflix livestream.

Laila Ali on Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua

Laila Ali pulled no punches when asked about Jake Paul fighting Anthony Joshua.

“I don’t see how he has any business being in the ring with Anthony Joshua,’’ Ali said on the Netflix livestream.

But she also said she considers Paul “a real boxer.’’

“But honey, not with Anthony Joshua now,’’ Ali said with a smile.

Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight results: Prelims

Cherneka Johnson def. Amanda Galle by unanimous decision

Galle was a worthy contender. Johnson was a fierce champion. And through a blood bath, the champion prevailed.

With blood covering both fighters as a result of headbutts, Johnson defended her undisputed bantamweight title.

The judges scored it 99-91, 98-92, 97-93 for Johnson, the 30-year-old Australian who improved to 19-2. Galle, a 36-year-old from Canada, suffered her first loss and fell to 12-0-1.

Cherneka Johnson vs. Amanda Galle

Round 1: Chereka Johnson looks powerful. Amanda Galle hangs in there, but she looks a little overmatched. Too much so to win that opening round. Johnson having to contend with a cut resulting from a headbutt. Johnson 10, Galle 9. 

Round 2: Galle cut now too and it’s ugly. Johnson attacking Galle hard. Johnson 20, Galle 18.

Round 3: Referee calls for ringside doctor to check Galle’s cut. The bout continues. Both boxers bleeding and Johnson getting the best of this brawl. Johnson scores repeatedly while blood streams down the left side of Galle’s face. Johnson 30, Galle 27.

Round 4: Galle landed a few jabs and then Johnson gave chase. She caught up, too, and connected with several shots. Johnson 40, Galle 36. 

Round 5: Galle showing spirit and connecting to Johnson’s body. But Johnson remains the aggressor and digs in with shots. Johnson throwing more shots and with some authority too. Johnson 50, Galle 45.

Round 6: Johnson comes out firing jabs and then unloads heavier shots. Galle stands her ground. Repeated exchanges ensue, and Johnson scores to the body. Galle holding her own, thanks in part to her jab. Galle showing no fear. Johnson 59, Galle 55.

Round 7: Galle comes out firing with both fists. She’s on the move at times, but willing to stand in the line of fire too. Galle lands three left hooks in a room. Then she looks effective with inside fighting, too. Johnson 68, Galle 65.

Round 8: Now Johnson comes out the aggressor. Galle fights back and lands hard shots to the body. Two bloody boxers fighting it out. Johnson picks up the pace. Johnson 78, Galle 74.

Round 9: Galle looks sharp as her left hand lands. Followed by an uppercut. Little reprieve here as they slug away. Johnson scores with a combination and bulls into Galle. Galle swings away and lands shots of her own. Johnson 88, Galle 83.

Round 10: The boxers might be exhausted, but it’s hard to tell by their punching output and energy. Galle unleashing hard shots. But Johnson powers her way to a strong finish. Johnson 98, Galle 92. 

Caroline Dubois def. Camila Panatta by unanimous decision

Dubois, the talented Brit, made her U.S. debut and looked right at home. Panatta, by contrast, looked badly overmatched.

Armed with a lightning-quick left and crisp punches, Dubois knocked down Panatta in the sixth round. Dubois continued to batter Panatta while defending her WBC world lightweight title.

All three judges scored it 99-90 for Dubois, the 24-year-old from London who improved to 11-0-1.

Panatta, a 34-year-old Italian, fell to 8-3-1.

Caroline Dubois vs. Camila Panatta, WBC lightweight world title

Round 1: Carolina Dubois and Camila Panatta clash and hit the canvas. No knockdown. A pulldown. Dubois is landing the harder punches and is making good use of that left. Dubois 10, Panatta 9.

Round 2: Dubois, a southpaw, throwing a wicked left. And she’s throwing it a lot, along with a right to the body there. Dubois has lined up Panatta and throwing her punches with power. Dubois eats a shot, but one of the few. Dubois 20, Panatta 18.

Round 3: Panatta comes out hard and lands shots. But Dubois calmly waits for an opportunity. He strikes with a hard left, followed by a right hook. That left followed by a right hook is serving Dubois well. Panatta throwing lots of punches but landing few. Dubois 30, Panatta 27.

Round 4: Panatta stalking but often to her own detriment – walking into shots from Dubois. Again, throwing lots of punches but landing far too few. They get tied up, as Panatta appears to be trying to get rough with her opponent as Dubois relies on precision. Dubois 40, Panatta 36.

Round 5: Dubois remains composed and contained. Panatta lands a hard right. Dubois answers with two lightning quick body shots. Dubois 50, Panatta 45.

Round 6: Dubois’ speed is impressive, although she might be getting a little predictable. Delivers a right to the body, followed by a right. Now showing her versatility. Dubois clubs Panatta with a right hook and down she goes. She beats the count and there’s the bell – the round ending just in tine for Panatta. Dubois 60, Panatta 53.

Round 7: Panatta stays aggressive despite the knockdown in Round 6. Dubois has tattooed Panatta in the face repeatedly, and the damage looks like a giant welt. Dubois 70, Panatta 62.

Round 8: Dubois still punishing Panatta with the left and right. Panatta charging ahead, then absorbs a hard right. Absorbing a lot, in fact. Dubois 80, Panatta 71.

Round 9: Panatta tumbles to the canvas – and it’s her own fault. She’s trying to rough things up. Getting frustrated by her ability to reach Dubois while Dubois lands crisp shots. For every punch she lands, she eats about three. Dubois 90, Panatta 80. 

Round 10: Wow. A closer look at Panatta reveals plenty of damage as a result of Dubois’ hard and accurate punches. Panatta scores for a left and she moves forward. Dubois backing away rather than brawling. Dubois 100, Panatta 89.

Yokasta Valle def. Yadira Bustillos by majority decision

Valle and Bustillos combined to throw an astonishing 1,045 punches during their 10-round fight. But Valle landed the harder shots while defending her WBC strawweight world title by majority decision.

Struggling to see out of her right with blood gushing down the side of her head after a headbutt, Valle explained she simply used her left eye. While using her right and left fists.

The judges scored it 95-95, 98-92, 96-94 for Valle, a 33-year-old Costa Rican who improved to 34-3.

Bustillos, a 25-year-old American, fell to 11-3.

Yokasta Valle vs. Yadira Bustillos, WBC strawweight world title, scheduled for 10 rounds

Round 1: Yadira Bustillos is whooping rights early, and Yokasta Valle answers with hard lefts. Hard exchanges as the round reaches the midpoint. And the punches continue to fly and Valle’s taking over. Valle 10, Bustillos 9.

Round 2: Fists flying again as soon as the round begins. Bustillos starting to exploit her height advantage. Valle responds with a hard right, but Bustillos keep up the pressure during frenetic bout. Bustillos appealing to the referee after getting hit in the ear and Valle takes advantage and slugs her opponent. Valle 20, Bustillos 18.

Round 3: Bustillos comes out energized again. But she swings wildly while Valle is doing a better job of hitting her target. Suddenly Bustillos is on the attack, and Valle is cut badly on the upper right side of her head. Blood gushing. Accidental headbutt. Valle 29, Bustillos 28.

Round 4: The fighters bump heads again and now Valle’s blood is smeared on Bustillos’ face. Ugly. Bustillos has asserted herself again, and Valle fires in punches and reasserts her control. Now it’s Bustillos bleeding from above her right eye. Valle 39, Bustillos 37.

Round 5: There’s no let up in this bout. Both women connecting with head shots, including a very hard left from Valle. But the blood is gushing again on the right side of Valle’s head. And perhaps Bustillos smells, well, blood, as she increases her punch output. Valle 48, Bustillos 47.

Round 6: More rock ‘em sock ‘em action. Brawling. Hard to keep track of the connecting punches, and Bustillos is landing in punches – to the head and the body. Valle 57, Bustillos 57.

Round 7: Valle opens with hard shots. Very hard. Neither fighter backing down. Bustillos scores with a series of uppercuts, and Valle answers with a left hook. Valle misses more than earlier, and Bustillos showing more precision. Bustillos 67, Valle 66.

Round 8: Anybody interested in defense? For these fighters, not so much. Valle tattoos Bustillos with two lefts, and Valle heating up. Bustillos 76, Valle 76.

Round 9: Valle connects with a punishing right seconds into the round as the brawl resumes. What a fight. They’re leaning into each other as inside fighting gets underway. Bustillos uses a jab while Valle uses what looks to be a howitzer. Valle 86, Bustillos 85.

Round 10: What did you expect? What we’re getting – the ongoing brawl. Valle leaning into her power. She scores with a hard left and tags Bustillos again with a short right. Whaling away as the round ends, of course. Valle 96, Bustillos 94.

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua predictions

After two bouts on the preliminary card, Netflix played a taped interview with Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua.

Final predictions, gentlemen?

“He going to be looking for the right and I’m going to hit him with the left,’’ Joshua said with a smile.

Said Paul, “I’m going to knock him out, fifth or sixth round.’’

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua tickets tank

Get-ins for the fight are listed for $31 by Ticketmaster, the primary ticket distributor for the fight. Only days ago the tickets were priced at a relatively modest $62. And on Monday Ticketmaster offered a 2-for-1 offer, highly unusual for a high-profile spectacle like this heavyweight fight.

Avious Griffin def. Justin Cardona by KO

Coming off a knockout loss in June, Griffin avenged himself in fitting fashion – with a knockout.

Cardona came out the aggressor – and ultimately he ran into a buzzsaw. Griffin dropped him with a combination and Cardona was counted out with one second left in the first round.

Griffin, 32, improved to 18-1, 17 KOs. Cardona, 26, dropped to 10-2.

Avious Griffin vs. Justin Cardona, welterweight, scheduled for eight rounds

Round 1: Avious Griffin is noticeably bigger, but Justin Cardona comes out stalking. And there’s an impressive exchange of punches, Griffin firing and Cardona answering with a flurry. Despite Griffin’s power, he looks oddly passive. Cardona closes the gap and lands big before Griffin responds and floors Cardona with a wicked combination. Griffin wins by knockout! As the round was coming to a close!  

Keno Marley def. Diarra Davis Jr. by unanimous decision

Marley, a two-time Olympian from Brazil, made an impressive pro debut in a four-round cruiserweight fight.

About 30 seconds into the bout, Marley knocked down Davis with a powerful right. Davis got back on his feet and stayed there. But the 25-year-old Marley dominated the rest of the fight with that potent right and combinations.

All three judges scored the fight 40-35 for Marley, who improves to 1-0.

Diarra, 35, fell to 2-2.

Keno Marley vs Diarra Davis Jr., cruiserweight, scheduled for 4 rounds

Round 1: Just before the bell rings, Diarra Davis opens his mouth and flashes his mouthpiece as he stands across the way from Keno Marley Maybe a bad idea, because… down goes Davis! Marley, making his pro debut, floors him with a right hand. Davis is up, but for how long? Marley attacking effectively with the right hand. Davis fights back, but without force. Marley 10, Davis 8.

Round 2: Davis not backing down, and he lands a combo in the corner. Maybe Marley was luring him in, but Marley unloads with punches. Connects with a hard left and now stalking his opponent. Again, Davis fights back but with pillows compared to Marley’s bricks. Marley 20, Davis 17.

Round 3: Davis keeps punching, and it opens him up to shots from Marley. Effective high guard from Marley, and suddenly Davis is on the run. Marley works Davis into the corner and scores. Throwing effective jabs and now getting the best of Davis with combinations. A dominant performance. Marley 30, Davis 26. 

Round 4: Gotta give Davis credit — at least a modicum He marches out and unloads combinations. Marley responds with heavier shots, and landing with both hands. Davis fights back with a flurry of punches, but Marley shows no concern. Marley showboating a bit as the fight comes to a close. Marley 40, Davis 35.

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua: Time, PPV, streaming for fight

Jake Paul will face Anthony Joshua on Friday, Dec. 19, at Kaseya Center in Miami.

Date: Friday, Dec. 19
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Paul vs. Joshua main event ringwalks: 10:30 p.m. ET (estimate)
Stream: Netflix

Jake Paul career record

Paul flexes a solid 12-1 record with seven knockouts. Paul’s only loss came in February 2023 against Tommy Fury.

Anthony Joshua’s career record

Since turning pro in 2013, Joshua boasts an impressive 28-4 record, with 25 of those wins coming via knockout. He also won Olympic gold for Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Games in London.

Jake Paul prediction: Boxer feels an upset

Jake Paul says he’s prepared to pull off ‘the biggest upset in the sport of boxing’ when he meets Anthony Joshua, the former two-time unified heavyweight boxing champion, on Friday night in Miami.

But how he’s going to do it may be the most surprising part. The former YouTube influencer and actor says he plans to use superior boxing skills and strategy to defeat the 2012 Olympic gold medalist, whom the sportsbooks have installed as a massive favorite.

‘On paper, the cards are stacked against me. But really in terms of boxing, I’m a better boxer than AJ, which is hilarious to say, but he’s got two left feet,’ Paul told reporters on Tuesday, Dec. 16. — Steve Gardner

Joshua vs. Paul fight rules

The fight is a sanctioned heavyweight fight, consisting of eight three-minute rounds. Each boxer will wear ten-ounce gloves, which is the typical size for official heavyweight fights.

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua predictions

Hasim Rahman: Anthony Joshua wins quick

‘I don’t believe it should be a competitive fight. It should not,’ the former heavyweight champion told USA TODAY Sports. ‘I feel like if Anthony Joshua don’t go in there and manhandle (Paul) and maul him and get him out of there in one or two rounds, then we got some questions to be asked.’Watch it here: Stream your favorite shows, the biggest blockbusters and more.

Nate Diaz: Jake Paul wins

‘I got my money on Paul,’ the former UFC fighter and Paul opponent said. ‘He might get … knocked out, but if he don’t Paul is gonna win.’

Deontay Wilder: If it’s not scripted, Joshua wins

‘In my opinion, it’s scripted a little bit because of the weight difference and Joshua’s a former champion and also he’s current, he’s active,’ the former heavyweight champion said. ‘This is going to be the first time we see Paul fighting an active fighter. We’ve seen the Mike Tyson (fight). That was all fun. That was cute. It was fun and games, but now you’re dealing with a real professional.’

Sportsbook Review: Anthony Joshua by decision

‘Jake Paul fights have been held for the masses. His fight last year against Mike Tyson went the distance to the judges, despite both fighters seemingly having several chances to end it early on. This is another fight on Netflix, on a Friday night, and close to the holiday season. The streaming giant will want to get its money’s worth in viewer retention ahead of airing two NFL games on Christmas Day.’

Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua fight card odds

All odds are for moneyline bets as of Friday, via BetMGM

Heavyweight: Jake Paul (+650) vs. Anthony Joshua (-1200)
Cruiserweight: Anderson Silva (-300) vs. Tyron Woodley (+225)
Unified Super Featherweight Title Bout: Alycia Baumgardner (-1400) vs. Leila Beaudoin (+650)
Super featherweight: Jahmal Harvey (-5000) vs. Kevin Cervantes (+1100)
Undisputed Bantamweight Title Bout: Cherneka Johnson (-900) vs. Amanda Galle (+500)
WBC Strawweight Title Bout: Yokasta Valle (-1200) vs. Yadira Bustillos (+600)
Welterweight: Avious Griffin (-550) vs. Justin Cardona (+350)
Cruiserweight: Keno Marley (-10000) vs. Diarra Davis Jr. (+1200)
WBC Lightweight Title Bout: Caroline Dubois (-5000) vs. Camila Panatta (+1000)

Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua odds

All odds are for moneyline bets as of Friday at 2:50 p.m. ET, via BetMGM

Jake Paul (+650) vs. Anthony Joshua (-1200)

Jake Paul vs Anthony Joshua full fight card

Heavyweight: Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua
Cruiserweight: Anderson Silva vs. Tyron Woodley
Unified Super Featherweight Title Bout: Alycia Baumgardner vs. Leila Beaudoin
Super featherweight: Jahmal Harvey vs. Kevin Cervantes
Undisputed Bantamweight Title Bout: Cherneka Johnson vs. Amanda Galle
WBC Strawweight Title Bout: Yokasta Valle vs. Yadira Bustillos
Welterweight: Avious Griffin vs. Justin Cardona
Cruiserweight: Keno Marley vs. Diarra Davis Jr.
WBC Lightweight Title Bout: Caroline Dubois vs. Camila Panatta

Week 16 of the 2025 NFL season kicked off with a massive NFC West battle between the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks, and the stakes are high again today with three of four teams in action currently inside the NFC playoff picture.

On the final weekend before Christmas, the NFL takes over with its first Saturday games of the 2025 regular season.

Today’s games feature four NFC teams with tons of playoff implications kicking off Saturday. Here’s what to know about Saturday’s NFL action:

NFL Saturday schedule: Week 16 games today

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Commanders, 5 p.m. ET
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, 8:20 p.m. ET

NFL Saturday: TV channels for today’s games

Eagles at Commanders: Fox
Packers at Bears: Fox

Odds for every NFL game today

Odds from BetMGM:

Philadelphia Eagles (-310) at Washington Commanders (+250)

PHI (-6.5); O/U: 44.5

Green Bay Packers (-115) at Chicago Bears (-105)

GB (1.5); O/U: 46.5

NFL picks, predictions for Saturday games

Washington Commanders vs. Philadelphia Eagles
Chicago Bears vs. Green Bay Packers

How to live stream NFL games today

FuboTV (all games)

Catch NFL action all season with a Fubo subscription

Storylines for today’s NFL games

The first matchup of the day is an NFC East divisional matchup in the nation’s capital. The defending champion Eagles ran over the Raiders in Week 14, and Philadelphia is in the top spot in the division. A win for the road team would push the Birds one step closer to sealing the division title for the second straight year, snapping the 21-season streak of a different NFC East champion. They will take on a Marcus Mariota-led Commanders squad after the team decided to shut down Jayden Daniels for the remainder of the season with Washington out of the playoff picture.
Green Bay enters Week 16 as the No. 7 seed but heads on the road to face the upstart Chicago Bears, who are eying an NFC North title and enter tonight’s game as the No. 2 seed. The victor will be in sole possession of first place in the NFC North. These teams met two weeks ago, where the Bears lost 28-21 at Lambeau Field. Green Bay will play its first game since losing Micah Parsons to a torn ACL.