Anderson Silva is not trivializing Jake Paul as he prepared for their upcoming clash on this Saturday, October 29th’s pay-per-view.
Despite their huge age difference, the eight-round welterweight bout doesn’t have a huge gap between the odds. Most sportsbooks have Paul as the minor favorite to beat Silva in the main event, headlining a five-fight PPV.
Every single fight is dangerous once you step through the ropes: Anderson Silva
While Anderson Silva is an accomplished figure in combat sports and is a legendary name in MMA, the former UFC Middleweight champion acknowledges that Jake Paul’s strength and age make him a real threat, even to ‘The Spider’.
“There’s a lot of people who are saying Jake is no good, he’s not as good a striker,” said Silva following a recent training session in LA, “but to me the fight is a fight and I’m training hard to win this fight. I’m not looking at this as an easy fight for me. Every single fight is dangerous once you step through the ropes.”
Paul (5-0, 4 KO’s) had knocked out another former UFC champion, Tyron Woodley, in the sixth round of their rematch in Tampa, Florida, last December. ‘The Problem Child’, 25, will meet Silva at Madison Square Garden when he ends a 10-month layoff, following to back-to-back fight cancellations – first against Tommy Fury and then his substitute Hasim Rahman Jr.
Silva, 47, had his last fight 13 months back when he thumped former UFC opponent Tito Ortiz in the first round of an eight-round cruiserweight bout. Prior to that, Silva beat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June 2021 and won by a split decision. The Brazil legend’s victory over Chavez has inspired confidence that he will pass Paul in the Showtime pay-per-view main event at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
“I’m not going to lose,” Silva went on, “Nothing will affect my legacy. I’ve worked hard for many years to do something like this for my fans. This is one more fight – one more challenge for myself – but this won’t affect my legacy and career.” [H/T Boxingscene.com]
