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A former UFC middleweight champion and future UFC Hall of Famer, 47-year-old Anderson Silva is scheduled to face the 25-year-old Jake Paul in an eight-round professional boxing match on Oct. 29.
On the surface, it may seem like a bit of a must-win situation for one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, but "The Spider" doesn't necessarily see it that way. Silva believes his legacy is beyond secure at this point, and his participation in the sweet science isn't about furthering his reputation in combat sports.
"Listen, everybody's talking about that, and they say, 'Oh, why are you going to fight with this young kid,' and, 'He's not a real fighter,' blah, blah, blah," Silva said at a pre-fight press conference promoting the event. "It's not about lose or win. It's about how much I love this and how much I can continue doing this with the new generation, you know?
"I don't think I'm going to lose, but if I lose, I don't think this affects my legacy or something in my career. Definitely not, because everything is there, you know?"
Esther Lin/Showtime
