Jake Paul will reportedly take on longtime UFC middleweight champion and MMA legend Anderson Silva in a boxing match on a Showtime pay-per-view tentatively scheduled for Oct. 29.
News of the rumored Paul/Silva booking came courtesy of YouTuber Keemstar on Monday night. Keemstar, a social media influencer, is a close friend of the Paul brothers. An official announcement from Paul and his team regarding the booking could come as soon as next week.
Jake Paul vs. MMA, Part III
Paul recently teased a name opponent for his next boxing fight in October following the cancelation of his fight with Hasim Rahman Jr. “The Problem Child” had previously been lined up to face Tommy Fury on two separate occasions this year, but the brother of heavyweight boxing king Tyson Fury twice pulled out, citing Visa issues at the time of the second cancelation.
If true, Paul figures to face a third former MMA star after recording knockout victories over Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren last year.
This is not the first time Silva’s name has been mentioned as a potential Jake Paul opponent. Paul teased a matchup with Silva back in July, targeting a late-2022 return to the ring following his first fight against a tried and true boxer. With Fury and Rahman having both fallen out as opponents for different reasons, Paul seems to be turning his attention back towards the world of MMA by targeting a fight with Silva.
Silva, 47, most recently defeated UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz in the boxing ring last September. He also turned some heads in the boxing world when he defeated famed boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. months prior to the Ortiz fight.
Paul recently came under fire for comments made during Paulo Costa‘s fight with Luke Rockhold at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City. Paul took jabs at both competitors, calling the fight “embarrassing” while mentioning that both fighters would be “easy money” if he was to fight either one of them. The comments came after months of Paul criticizing the UFC over fighter pay and treatment of the athletes.
A venue and location for the rumored bout are yet to be announced.
