Hearn Expects Jake Paul To Beat Anderson Silva in Competitive Fight

Promoter Eddie Hearn is backing YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul to beat former UFC champion Anderson Silva on October 29.

SIlva is Paul’s first opponent with real professional boxing experience. Last year, Silva pulled off an upset when he outpointed former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. to win by decision.

Paul had two opponents fail in a planned return to the ring last month.

He was initially scheduled to fight undefeated light heavyweight prospect Tommy Fury, who is the younger brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

The fight relapsed when Fury was unable to enter the United States.

He was later replaced by heavyweight prospect Hasim Rahim Jr., the son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, but that fight also fell through when it was revealed that Rahman could not make the contracted weight limit.

“I don’t know enough about Anderson Silva, but he can box a little by the sound of things,” Hearn told MMA Hour.

“To beat Anderson Silva, although boxing is still a very impressive part of his repertoire, he is not a boxer yet and he is 47 years old. But he is a tough guy, he has a huge profile, he can box and I think he will be competitive. I beat Jake, because I think Jake is young, and I think he can punch a little bit, and I’m intrigued to see him, and I like what Jake is doing. It’s kind of him against the world.

“I think Jake has had a little bit of bad luck, because he was trying to fight Tommy Fury, he was trying to fight Hasim Rahman Jr., and that would have given him the ability to say, ‘Actually, you have to respect me now. as a boxer.”