If there was any doubt that Anderson Silva was going to be cleared to compete against Jake Paul tomorrow night (Sat., Oct. 29, 2022) live on Showtime pay-per-view (PPV) and FITE.TV from inside Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., the state athletic commission has put fight fans at ease.
Earlier this week, Silva made comments about getting knocked out twice in training for his boxing match with Paul. While the former UFC champion eventually downplayed his remarks it stirred up cause for concern for the Arizona Boxing Commission. Silva’s boxing license had previously been granted, but the commission called an emergency meeting to discuss Silva’s mental health and make sure the 47-year-old combat veteran was able to fight.
Luckily for all parties involved, commissioner Scott Fletcher revealed on a public Zoom meeting that he attended Thursday’s pre-fight press conference and was “very impressed” with Silva’s “mental acuity,” per MMA Fighting. In addition, Fletcher stated that Silva provided a “pristine” MRI to the commission leaving no doubt that he’s able to compete this Saturday.
While there was little doubt that the fight would actually move forward the commission needed to take all the necessary precautions. Commissioner Ara J. Feinstein, who is a trauma surgeon and ringside doctor, was “extremely concerned” over Silva’s knockout comments and needed more clarity on the former UFC champion’s health.
“Given all the work we’ve done on concussion protocol and emphasis we’ve been placing on fighter safety, it just left me really concerned,” Feinstein said. “However, once I had further information, the letter from Silva, the written statement from his trainer, and more importantly, the results of the medical examinations and the approval of the physician reading the report, I became much more comfortable, and I have no objections to Mr. Silva participating in the event this Saturday.”
Barring an unforeseen last-second cancelation fight fans will get to see Silva box Paul tomorrow night live on PPV. It is expected to be one of the biggest boxing cards of the year and the greatest test of Paul’s young combat career.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of the ‘Paul vs. Silva’ PPV main card right HERE. The $59.99 FITE.TV/Showtime PPV kicks off at 9 p.m. ET, with Paul and Silva likely to make the walk closer to midnight.