Anderson Silva set to battle Jake Paul at the Desert Diamond Arena on October 29
When accepting his impending fight with Jake Paul, Anderson Silva stated he wanted to emulate the legacy of Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr.
Silva, now 47, will meet unbeaten boxing sensation Jake Paul at the Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona on Saturday night in his most high-profile fight since making the move to the ring. After having a 22-year age difference with Paul, the Brazilian star has opted to continue his profession despite quitting from the UFC.
Jake Paul pulled up to open workouts on a horse 😅🐴
(via @MarcRaimondi) pic.twitter.com/aMxpVWY2X7
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 27, 2022
Anderson Silva, the former UFC middleweight champion, has been fighting in boxing contests since leaving the UFC in 2020. ‘The Spider’ faced Uriah Hall in his final UFC fight at UFC Vegas 12 and was knocked out in the fourth round.
— Anderson Silva (@SpiderAnderson) October 19, 2022
Silva finished his illustrious UFC career on a sour note, losing seven of his last nine fights. It all started when he lost his middleweight title against Chris Weidman via KO in 2013.
In the rematch with Weidman, Silva was unable to reclaim his championship and suffered a horrific leg break. The only fights he didn’t lose were a no-contest against Nick Diaz and a showdown with Derek Brunson.
Dance off in advance of the fight. Who won? #PaulSilva pic.twitter.com/oXdtfK7k4V
— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) October 24, 2022
“I think the secret is being special, you need to love your job and when you do you can do something special,” Silva said during an interview ahead of his battle against Paul. “That is my whole vision about the success I make in my life. Mike Tyson and Roy Jones Jr. They are legend, old legends who continued to do something special. I am so happy because I am trying to do the same.
“I fought in the past in MMA but when you fight in MMA it is completely different but when you fight in boxing it is much harder because you need to understand the game. I try every day to do something special to prove my respect for boxing. The secret is enjoying everything you do, sometimes it is not easy because the kids beat me a lot. But I am happy because I have made it here.”
Silva, at 47 years old, will face a 25-year-old opponent who is 22 years his junior. While he feels his expertise will be enough to overcome his younger opponent, the MMA great made it clear that he is not taking Paul lightly.
“Many people claim Jake Paul is bad, that he isn’t a decent striker. A fight is a battle to me. I’ve been working hard to prepare for this one. This is not going to be an easy struggle for me. When you get into the ring, every battle is risky.”
