Jake Paul to fight Anderson Silva on Oct. 29
Jake Paul and MMA legend Anderson Silva will face off in a boxing match on Oct. 29 at Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona, Paul announced Tuesday.
The biggest fight of the year is happening Saturday, October 29th live from Phoenix, Arizona at Gila River Arena. #PaulSilva is official. @GilaRiverArena @ShowtimeBoxing @jakepaul @SpiderAnderson pic.twitter.com/oQwMPqmwUR
— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) September 6, 2022
"It is an honor to be in there with the legendary Anderson Silva, although I'm gonna knock him out in under five rounds," said the YouTube star.
It will be an eight-round fight at 187 pounds, according to BT Sports' Ariel Helwani.
By taking on Silva - considered by many to be one of the UFC's all-time greatest fighters - Paul continues to favor MMA opponents in his burgeoning boxing career.
Paul, 25, knocked out former Bellator champion Ben Askren and former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in a rematch. He also beat Woodley by split decision in their first fight.
Paul attempted to pivot to boxing opponents, but a fight with Tommy Fury fell through due to travel issues. Fury's replacement, Hasim Rahman Jr., pulled out of his Aug. 6 matchup with Paul at the last minute due to weight-cutting concerns.
Silva holds the records for longest title reign in UFC history at 2,457 days and the most consecutive wins with 16. The 47-year-old also defended his middleweight title 10 times from 2006-13.