STWF Sports | Dec. 16, 2025 – Jake Paul’s unexpected surge into the heavyweight division has taken another surprising twist, this time in the kitchen. With his clash against former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua set for Friday night, Paul’s personal chef has now revealed the dramatic nutritional shift required to prepare the YouTuber-turned-boxer for the biggest test of his combat sports career.
Paul, who normally campaigns as a cruiserweight, was initially preparing for a November 14 exhibition bout against Gervonta “Tank” Davis at a catchweight of 195 pounds. When Davis’ legal issues abruptly derailed the event, Paul found himself thrust into a much larger opportunity — and an even larger opponent. Joshua, stepping in as Davis’ replacement, forced Paul into a rapid overhaul of his physical preparation. Cutting weight was no longer the goal. Packing it on — cleanly and urgently — became the new mission.
Eric Triliegi, Paul’s chef, detailed the abrupt pivot in an interview with ESPN, shedding light on how the camp has approached the challenge of safely adding weight while maintaining athleticism.
“He had a great breakfast, really healthy. Then for lunch he had pizza,” Triliegi explained, showcasing the delicate balance between discipline and calorie-surplus necessity. “We pivoted from cutting to making sure he gets a surplus of calories every day.”
Triliegi emphasized that the transformation wasn’t simply about gaining mass but adding the right kind of mass. “We are only able to put a certain amount of weight on him, which is healthy weight. We are putting about six pounds of lean muscle on him,” he said. “I am just making sure he is really consuming extra calories, a lot of lean protein, still getting carbohydrates and fats in.”
For Paul, the goal is clear: close the size gap between himself and a seasoned heavyweight who has spent his entire career operating between 240 and 255 pounds. “We are focusing on lean protein to let him gain some muscle mass, so he’s closer to what Anthony will be weighing,” Triliegi added.
That target, according to the fight contract, is capped at 245 pounds for Joshua. The British star is no stranger to the mark — in fact, promoters expected him to make the weight with ease. Eddie Hearn, Joshua’s long-time promoter, confirmed as much during a recent appearance on talkSPORT Breakfast.
“He’s good, he’s really dialled in as if he was fighting an elite heavyweight,” Hearn said. “The one thing he always does is take everything seriously, and he is doing so for this. He’s in tremendous shape.”
Hearn revealed Joshua had already weighed in at 244.7 pounds earlier in the month, comfortably under the limit and fully engaged despite the unconventional nature of the matchup. “The difference in this fight is he has to make a specific weight which is a lot lighter than he would usually go in at. But he’s on track and is in Miami with not long to go until the fight,” Hearn said. “I can’t believe what’s about to happen, to be honest. Yeah, he’s ready to go and do a job on him, and I just can’t believe we’ve signed the contract to fight him.”
Though the bout’s spectacle has captured headlines, its rules remain grounded in traditional professional boxing standards. That familiarity, however, does little to diminish the enormity of the task ahead for Paul, who will be sharing the ring with a natural heavyweight boasting Olympic pedigree and years of elite experience.
Still, Paul’s team insists that every aspect of his preparation — from sparring to nutrition — reflects a fighter determined to seize the opportunity rather than simply survive it. Now carrying added muscle, increased calories, and the heaviest frame of his career, Paul steps toward fight night transformed both physically and professionally.
Whether that transformation is enough to trouble one of boxing’s most imposing figures remains the most intriguing question heading into Friday’s bell.
