Jake Paul is looking to pick a fight with Nate Diaz, but he’s focused on his current opponent – Anderson Silva.
The YouTuber and actor turned boxer will meet MMA legend Anderson Silva in an eight-round, 187lb fight in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 29. Silva (3-1, 2 KO’s) presents the biggest challenge of Paul’s (5-0, 4 KO’s) boxing career. Preceding his retirement from MMA, Silva challenged former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Silva would take the win over the credentialed boxer; Silva then knocked out fellow ex-UFC champion Tito Ortiz in the first round in September of last year.
Jake Paul’s opponents in boxing have been lacklustre comparatively. He made his debut against fellow Youtuber “AnEsonGib” and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson where he secured both victories by knockout. Next, Paul would secure a knockout over former MMA champion Ben Askren, who was a wrestling specialist in MMA. His next challenge would be former UFC champion Tyron Woodley, who took Paul to a split decision in their first bout. However, four months later, Paul would rematch Woodley and secure one of the deadliest knockouts of Paul’s career.
Despite Toughest Test, Jake Paul Looks to 2023 Matchup With Diaz
Diaz is one of the many MMA fighters to criticize ‘The Problem Child’ on social media, sparking back-and-forth. Since then, Diaz fulfilled his contract obligations with the UFC after he submitted Tony Ferguson at UFC 279, leaving him free to negotiate with any organization. The combination of events makes a future bout a reality. When asked about a potential Diaz matchup at the Paul vs Silva press conference on Monday, Paul made it known what was on his mind.
“I do, in the back of my head, want that fight. And I think the fans want that fight,” Paul told gathered media. “I’ll slap the Stockton out of him. I’m focused on October 29. I have a crazy tough opponent in front of me in Anderson Silva, so that’s my main focus,”.
Paul realises a lot needs to happen to make the potential fight with Diaz come together, but the twenty-five-year-old admitted that wouldn’t stop him from making future plans.
“We will see. I think there’s a lot of hurdles that he probably has to get through even getting out of his contract probably,” Paul added.
“I don’t know all the details. And then there’s hurdles I have to jump through. And one of those hurdles is a f***ing massive one in Anderson Silva.”
“I definitely use all the potential fights that could happen in my career as motivation. I want to have a long career. So, when I’m in the gym, I’m thinking, ‘OK, I’m gonna be doing this for three, four, five more years. I need to work extremely hard.’
“This isn’t just a short-term thing for me. I always think about all the people out there who want to beat me, who want to fight me.”
Focus Must Be on Anderson Silva Before Talks With Diaz
Jake Paul must focus on his current opponent Anderson Silva before he can entertain the idea of fighting Diaz. The 47-year-old UFC legend was cut by the organization back in 2020 after a TKO loss to Uriah Hall. Since then, Silva has impressed on his boxing run with a win over former world champion Julio Ceaser Chavez and a devastating finish over former UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz.
Can Jake Paul add another big name to his hit list? Does Paul stand a chance against Silva? Will the Diaz fight come to fruition? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image credit to Embed from Getty Images
