Anderson Silva wants to box Jake Paul.
UFC legend Anderson Silva is preparing his body for a challenge as the 47-year-old hopes to fight Jake Paul in his next boxing match.
Silva returned to the boxing ring yesterday on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather vs. Don Moore at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates where he dominated fellow countryman Bruno Machado in an eight-round non-scored exhibition out.
The Brazilian talked about a possible boxing match with YouTuber Jake Paul before the fight.
“It’s possible,” Silva said of the Paul matchup during a pre-fight interview with Sports Illustrated. “People need to respect the Paul brothers. Those kids are talented, and they’ve opened people’s eyes about the good and bad in combat sports. I’m preparing my body for a challenge. We’ll see what happens.”
Silva, who is considered one of the best strikers in MMA, made the transition to boxing after being released from the UFC in 2020. The former UFC middleweight champion has since gone on to defeat Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (SD) and Tito Ortiz (KO) as well as outclass Machado (mentioned above) in an exhibition match.
At 47-years-old Silva is still training hard every day and anticipates more fun boxing matches in the future.
“I made the transition from my MMA career to boxing, and I’m doing something I love,” Silva said. “I am training hard every day, so I’m not surprised at my success. I’m not impressed yet, either. I have a lot more work to do.”