Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul's £140m freak fight is 'absolutely dangerous', says Barry McGuigan, who fears AJ will 'take YouTuber's head off'

Barry McGuigan has lambasted Anthony Joshua's controversial fight against Jake Paul, with the boxing legend expressing his fears for the YouTuber's welfare.

On Monday, Joshua announced he will take on Paul in a deal worth an estimated £140million, as he attempts one final run at the heavyweight world championship.

The fight will be only novice boxer Paul's second contest at heavyweight, having fought Mike Tyson in a highly controversial bout on Netflix in November last year.

As a result, promoters - who are marketing this fight as 'the most dangerous' contest of Paul's career - have come under fire for putting the 28-year-old in harm's way. The fight is taking place in the United States, with the British Boxing Board of Control confirming it would not have sanctioned the fight in the UK.

And McGuigan has added his name to a growing list of detractors of the big fight, 

He said it was 'absolutely dangerous' that Joshua, 36, is to set foot in the ring to face  Paul 'with a no-holds-barred contract'.

'If it's all straight up and proper, you would worry that he would take this kid's head off; you'd worry that he would knock Jake Paul out very, very badly,' McGuigan told The Telegraph.

'And the truth is, for four or five rounds, he [Paul] might be able to talk himself up and not get hit clean. But you would imagine that if Joshua hit him properly, he would really badly hurt him.'

McGuigan drew comparisons to Joshua's show-fight with UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou - who was obliterated inside two rounds.

'Joshua went out in two rounds and absolutely obliterated him and knocked him out very badly,' said McGuigan. 'How in the hell is Jake Paul going to do any better than him?'  

Meanwhile, the general secretary of the BBBofC Robert Smith said the governing body would have 'almost certainly' rejected an application to stage the fight in the UK.

'We would have had to consider the fight here if there had been an application to put it on, but I'm almost certain it would have been a 'No'. It would not have been seen to be to the benefit of the sport.' 

The eight-round affair, which will be contested in three-minute rounds and with 10oz gloves, marks the first fight for Joshua, 36, since he was crushed by Daniel Dubois 14 months ago.

It will also require some drastic adjustments to the boxers' weights, with the limit being set at 245lbs. Joshua has weighed more than 250lbs in each of his last five fights, while Paul weighed around just 200lbs for his last bout in June. The general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control has said a clash between these two would not be sanctioned on British soil.

'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 'The Problem Child' Paul, who has a record of 12 wins and one loss since moving into boxing, vowed that 'Britain's Goliath' will be 'put to sleep'.