As expected, YouTube sensation Jake Paul will continue his celebrity boxing campaign opposite former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in a special eight-round, 187-pound catchweight battle atop the Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) main event on Sat., Oct. 29, 2022 inside Gila River Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.
Tickets go on sale on Weds., Sept. 14 at 1 p.m. ET.
“Anderson Silva is the most versatile fighter the world has ever seen,” said Paul. “Just a year ago he outclassed boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and showed the world why he is often referred to as the greatest fighter of all time. Every expert, from MMA to boxing, has said Jake Paul won’t fight Anderson Silva. They said Jake Paul is afraid of Anderson Silva, and Jake Paul would lose to Anderson Silva. Well, to all the non-believers – Jake Paul is fighting Anderson Silva. It’s an honor to have the opportunity to share the ring with the greatest UFC striker of all time. On Saturday, October 29, I will walk humbly into the ring, touch gloves with a living legend and do my best to exterminate ‘The Spider.’”
After securing a knockout victory over former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley last December, the 25 year-old Paul (5-0, 4 KOs) was scheduled to compete against boxers Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. but those bouts fell apart and sent “The Problem Child” back to the drawing board.
Enter “The Spider.”
“I know that in life everything has its purpose,” Silva said. “Nothing comes just by chance. So, I thank God for my health, my family and my team for providing me with this opportunity to continue doing the thing that I love the 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.”
Silva, 47, stepped away from MMA after posting three consecutive losses. Undaunted, the wily Brazilian returned to the “sweet science” to register back-to-back wins over established boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and fellow UFC veteran Tito Ortiz in 2021. Silva opened as the betting underdog for his upcoming Paul fight.
The Oct. 29 undercard is expected to be announced in the coming days.