On Tuesday afternoon, Showtime Boxing made official what had already been rumored regarding fighter Jake Paul’s new opponent and the date of his last fight. This, as confirmed by the Network and Paul’s MVP Promotions, will be former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in an eight-round main event.
The fight will be a Showtime pay-per-view on Saturday night, October 29 from the Gila Arena in Glendale, AZ.
????????’???? ???????????????????????????????? ???? @jakepaul vs. @SpiderAnderson on October 29 LIVE on @Showtime PPV from @GilaRiverArena. #PaulSilva ???? presale available now: https://t.co/SCgGwEQmns pic.twitter.com/CQgA0YYb6z
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) September 6, 2022
Since Showtime’s launch on Tuesday,
“After scheduled bouts with professional boxers Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. were scuttled, Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) will face a much tougher opponent.
Often compared to Muhammad Ali and Pele of mixed martial arts, Silva authored one of the strongest resumes of any MMA fighter before returning to professional boxing in 2021. Silva holds the UFC record for longest title reign. long in the history of the organization: 2457 days; the most consecutive wins in the UFC: 16 and the most finishes in fights for the UFC title: nine.
Known for his excellent striking ability in the cage, Silva (34-11, 1 NC in mixed martial arts) has found success in his transition to boxing in a remarkable second act of his career. The Brazilian heralded his return as a world-class boxer in June 2021 when he soundly defeated former middleweight boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., by split decision that was not as close as the scores indicated.
“Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva is the most versatile fighter the world has ever seen,” said Paul. “Just a year ago, he overpowered boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and showed the world why he is often considered the greatest boxer of all time. Every pundits from MMA to boxing have said that Jake Paul will not fight Anderson Silva. They said that Jake Paul is afraid of Anderson Silva, and that Jake Paul would lose to Anderson Silva.
“Well, for all you non-believers: Jake Paul is fighting Anderson Silva. It is an honor to have the opportunity to share the ring with the best UFC striker of all time. On Saturday, October 29, I will humbly walk to the ring, touch gloves with a living legend, and do my best to exterminate ‘The Spider.’
“I know that everything in life has its purpose,” Silva said. “Nothing happens by chance. So, I thank God for my health, my family and my team for giving me this opportunity to continue doing what I love most. I believe this will be the biggest combat event of the year and will truly make history in the sport forever. See you on October 29.”
Paul was last in the ring in December, when he destroyed another former UFC champion, Tyron Woodley, with a right-handed knockout missile at a Showtime PPV in Tampa, FL. Paul has yet to face someone with extensive boxing experience.
Silva, meanwhile, will be the closest thing, as he followed up his stunning dominance over the younger Chavez with a first-round knockout of former MMA champion Tito Ortiz in Hollywood, FL last September.
Paul made a second attempt to fight English cruiserweight Tommy Fury in early August, but Fury ran into visa issues getting to the US and eventually faced a deadline from Paul and his management to commit to fighting him. . That came and went and Paul was replaced by the son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, Jr. to try to salvage the main event and undercard bouts for Madison Square Garden in New York.
Unfortunately, Rahman did not follow the agreed-upon weight loss rules and Paul and MVP Promotions dropped him as well, with the entire card cancelled, as they then looked to have a different opponent and a later date.
That will now be against Silva in the Arizona desert late next month.
