Youtuber, turned-boxer, Jake Paul silences the critics by taking on former MMA veteran Anderson Silva.
Jake Paul Fight Announcement
Jake Paul will face 47-year-old Anderson Silva on October 29th in his sixth fight as a pro boxer- announced via most valuable promotions. The 8-round fight will take place in Glendale, Arizona, contested at 187lbs. Both fighters are coming off impressive KO victories. Jake Paul knocked out Tyron Woodley back in December 2021. Silva faced Tito Ortiz in September of 2021 and also won via knockout.
Paul was set to fight Tommy Fury last month at Madison Square Garden. This fell through, with Fury stating he had travel and visa issues. Paul’s team quickly found a replacement in Hasim Rahman Jr, which also fell through due to weight complications. Rahman unable to cut down to cruiserweight. With two fights being cancelled, Jake and his team went back to the drawing board.
Why Anderson Silva?
Paul is no stranger to taking on ex mma fighters in the boxing ring. He first knocked out Ben Askren, former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, bringing his current record to 5-0. While Askren and Woodley are not known for their elite striking, this is where Silva differs. Anderson Silva is arguably the most creative striker the UFC has ever seen. In his prime, Silva successfully defended the UFC middleweight title 10 times. In terms of boxing, his current record is 3-1 as a professional. With his most notable win being over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., A win over Anderson Silva could exponentially boost Jake Pauls’s stock as a boxer/ prize-fighter.
Jake Paul has faced a lot of criticism when selecting his opponents. Fans argue that Paul is looking for an “easy fight”. UFC president Dana White even suggested Anderson Silva a few months prior to this announcement but said that Jake was unlikely to take a “real fight”. It’s no secret that tensions arise whenever Paul’s name is mentioned to Dana White after Paul consistently exposes issues with fighter pay within the UFC. This fight has been speculated for quite some time, with various close sources leaking Silva as Jake’s next opponent. Many of Pauls’s detractors have said that he would never take a fight with Silva or take a fight where he is the underdog. Now it’s official. Fans will get to see what Paul is made of when facing an elite, experienced striker.
Where and When?
The bout will take place live on showtime PPV, in Glendale Arizona, Ariel Helwani reports. Scheduled for October 29th at 187lbs.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
