It seems that Jake Paul has finally got an opponent to face in former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva. Paul recently announced he was going to return to the squared circle on October 29th. Silva was then confirmed as his opponent according to reports by TMZ and MMA Fighting.
This will be a great match-up for the Ohio-based boxer who was initially supposed to ace off against Hasim Rahman Jr. However, the fight was called off due to weight cut issues faced by Rahaman Jr. This is not all, as The Spider’s coach Luiz Dorea has revealed the rules of the fight.
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Anderson Silva’s coach leaks fight rules
In an interview with Sherdog, Dorea revealed that he and his team would leave for Los Angeles to train for the fight. He also stated that Silva was very motivated by the fight. “We will leave Newark straight to LA,” Coach Dorea explained. “I just talked to Anderson, he is really motivated to October 29,” said Dorea.
Moreover, he then told the reporter that this fight would be contested under professional rules and will take place at 85 kg or 187 pounds, Silva’s usual weight class. “What Anderson just told me is that it would be professional boxing rules,” he said. “Eight rounds of three minutes [each] with 10-ounce gloves, and, of course, with knockouts being allowed. The weight, if I’m not wrong, will be 85kg.” He added. Sliva has also been granted the boxing license to fight in Arizona, confirming the fight.
Ex-UFC champ Anderson Silva has been granted a professional boxing license to fight in Arizona.
This comes after reports of a potential boxing fight against Jake Paul in October. Full story coming to @MMAJunkie. pic.twitter.com/BZULKvHBOf
— Danny Segura (@dannyseguratv) September 2, 2022
Dorea feels that this rule-set would favor Silva much more than Paul. According to him, although Paul is a talented fighter, he is not yet anywhere near the level of the former UFC champ.
Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva
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This is certainly an intriguing match-up for both fighters. The Problem Child has an undefeated 5–0 record and is coming off a victory with a ruthless sixth-round knockout of Tyron Woodley in December 2021. Silva, on the other hand, made his boxing return in 2021 and is 2–0 since then. He has wins over former MMA star Tito Ortiz and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
Although Sliva is now 47 years old, he will still be the favorite to win the fight. He might not be a pure boxer, but was arguably one of the best strikers in MMA. Moreover, Paul has not yet faced a striker of his caliber and will certainly be tested in this fight.
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What did you think about the rule-set? Let us know in the comments.