It appears Anderson Silva is serious about boxing Jake Paul as the former UFC middleweight champion has just received a boxing license to fight in Arizona following initial reports about the matchup taking place in Phoenix, Arizona, in October.
MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck confirmed the news with the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission following an initial report from Danny Segura of MMA Junkie.
Although the matchup hasn’t been confirmed, YouTuber Paul has opened as the betting favorite despite Tweeting that he would ‘almost certainly’ be the underdog following previous knockout victories over former welterweight titleholders Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren.
Unlike Askren and Woodley, however, Silva matches Paul in size and is considered by many to be one of the greatest strikers (and boxers) in MMA history. The UFC legend returned to the boxing ring in June 2021 where he notched back-to-back victories over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz, finishing the latter via knockout. He has an overall boxing record of 3-1.
Silva vs. Paul will likely headline a Showtime Sports event on Oct. 29 in Phoenix, Arizona.
If the @jakepaul vs. @SpiderAnderson fight is finalized for @ShowtimeBoxing PPV on Oct. 29, as is being worked on, I’m told it likely will take place in Phoenix.
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) August 30, 2022
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