If you had said 10 years ago that Jake Paul would be fighting Anderson Silva in a boxing matchup most people would have laughed in your face. However, 10 years down the line and it will be the main event in Glendale, Arizona this weekend.
Jake Paul
‘The Problem Child’ will be looking to move to 6-0 this weekend over arguably his toughest test to date. After a win over fellow YouTuber Ansesongib, Paul then moved to sports star and former basketballer Nate Robinson. Startching both non-boxers Paul then sought an upgrade in opponent (on paper) so began calling out combat athletes.
Ben Askren was the first to truly answer his call. The former ONE Champion and Bellator 170lb champion had just recently retired from MMA after a lacklustre UFC run. The wrestler was never much of a striker so many speculated this would be another win for Paul, they were correct. after the Askren bout, a gimic of Jake Paul vs MMA began to arise as his next opponent would be former UFC welterweight champion, Tyron Woodley. The former champion, like Askren, was without a win in years and definitely past his combat prime. Paul would beat Woodley in Ohio and planned to fight against British boxer Tommy Fury. That fell through due to injury, however, so the previous opponent Tyron Woodley would accept a rematch against Paul. This time Paul made a statement, knocking out the former UFC champion.
Paul’s next bout was scheduled to be against pro boxer Hasim Rahman Jr. The 12-1 boxer later pulled out due to weight issues and Paul was once again left without an opponent.
If Paul can do the same against Anderson Silva he will have an impressive KO record having only been the distance once. As well as proving he can stand with someone whose preferred weight class is one bigger than welterweight.
Anderson Silva
At 45, Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva was released from the UFC. Many, including UFC president Dana White, hoped he would call it a day on his combat sports career. Silva defied the odds, however, racking up multiple wins in the sport of boxing. Putting a clinic against a seasoned fighter such as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in his own sport is one way to enter the ring. Not having his hand raised in the Octagon since 2017 to beating a champion led Silva to continue with his boxing career. It has gone rather well for the former UFC middleweight champion so far.
Now, at 47, Silva is set to box former Disney star, Jake Paul. As mentioned earlier, a fight no one would have believed if announced in the past. Although on paper a young man fighting the 47-year-old seems like a mismatch, it is not that simple. Silva, unlike previous opponents, has shown he belongs in the ring. Looking like a true boxer in every one of his performances Anderson Silva is a true pioneer of combat sports, with the resume to prove it.
Whether Silva wins or not he will still be one of the greatest of all time in MMA. If ‘The Spider’ gets his hand raised this weekend he will show the world just how much of a hard-core athlete he is.
An All-Important Win In Boxing
Whoever gets the victory this weekend will have an important win in their boxing careers. If Paul is to get the nod he will have beaten one of the great strikers of combat sports who has proved he can box against real opponents. If Anderson is to come out victorious he will have answered many questions about Jake Paul’s ability. As well as once again defining the odds of defeating a man who was not even born when he picked up his first win in MMA.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
