UFC boss Dana White has offered rare praise of Jake Paul following news he will he fight 47-year-old Anderson Silva.
For the first time in his short-lived boxing career, Paul will face an opponent with a professional boxing record in UFC legend Silva. Paul has faced heavy criticism for not fighting an 'actual boxer' since turning professional in 2020, having previously fought YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA star Nate Robinson and now-retired MMA champions Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.
White has mocked Paul for cherry-picking his opponents in the past, but admits that he is challenging himself by facing Silva. “If he’s really fighting Anderson Silva, and that’s true, it’s about time he’s got a real fight on his hands there. Regardless of how old Anderson is, yeah, that’s a real fight," he told reporters.