The UFC has a Fight Night card going down this Saturday, Bellator is on the calendar as well. Katie Taylor returns to the ring for the first time since her split decision victory over Amanda Serrano in what was considered one of the highest profile women’s boxing fights of all time. But, the most notable event in the combat sports world, by far, belongs to a bout of little real consequence.
Jake Paul looks to continue his immensely popular celebrity boxing career this weekend, against former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. There will be no titles on the line, there will be no stakes beyond pride. Both men will likely immediately move on to other notable celebrity fights once this bout is done. But it will absolutely command attention across the MMA and boxing worlds alike.
“I believe there’s a higher power, fully guiding my boxing career,” Paul explained in the intro to Showtime’s All Access: Paul vs. Silva show. “What I’m doing for the sport of boxing? The universe wants it to continue. Because the sport needs it and I think the youth—the next generation of kids—need this.
“Chosen, is a kinda, like, a narcissistic word, maybe? But, yeah, I definitely feel like what I’m doing has a much higher purpose than what I even understand at the moment. And I don’t feel like this is just for Jake Paul to go knock people out.
“Everything happens for a reason. The Haseem fight could have happened. And maybe that meant that people weren’t interested in it. Maybe the universe was like, ‘Ah, let’s not do this. Let’s go to the biggest fight possible: Anderson Silva.’ I think the universe is working in my favor.”
The video gives fans a behind the scenes look not just at the training camps of both men, but behind the scenes for media engagements, and some of the buildup and fallout for recent bouts for both fighters—including Paul vs. Woodley and Silva vs. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
“I don’t need to prove nothing for anybody,” Anderson Silva said of his reasons for taking the fight with Paul. “The fight with Jake, is a fight.”
“Everybody talking about, ‘Oh, he’s young and this is very dangerous fight?’” The 47-year-old revealed. “I do this for a very long time in my life. My entire life. Doesn’t matter your age. Age is not youth.”
“Absolutely. Of course,” Silva concluded when asked if he’d win. As for whether he’d knock Paul out? “Maybe” was as far as the ‘Spider’ was willing to go.
Paul vs. Silva takes place on October 29th at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, AZ. THe bout will be available on Showtime PPV, starting at 9pm ET/6pm PT. Alongside the 187 lb main event, the card will also play host to the boxing debut of former UFC middleweight Uriah Hall, taking on former Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell in a cruiserweight contest.
