Jake Paul has admitted that he will find the early exchanges of his fight with Anderson Silva "weird" after being a fan of the UFC legend for so long.
As a child, Paul waited in line to take a photo with the iconic former middleweight champion, but the pair are now adversaries as they prepare for their pay-per-view clash later this month. And the YouTube star-turned-boxer has dampened his standard 'problem child' trash talking heading into the bout, insisting that it will be a respectful clash.
However, he is confident of landing victory and making Silva the fifth fighter that he has stopped since turning professional back in 2020. The Brazilian is Paul's first opponent who is heavier, taller and has a winning boxing record, and recently defeated former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
"I think the first 15 seconds of the fight will be a little bit weird," Paul admitted in a chat with MMA Junkie. "Just because if you've seen Creed or Rocky, it's like all the lights are on you and there's 20,000 people, it really feels like you're in a movie. It's a surreal feeling and then my brain is definitely going to be like 'why am I in the ring with Anderson Silva right now?'
"It will be really weird, but after that first 15 seconds, usually what it takes for me to get into the fight is to get punched once. So when I get hit once that's when I'm like, in the zone. I'm excited to see how that feeling feels, but I'm going to try to get rid of it as fast as possible."
Paul is generally known for getting under the skin of both his opponents and fans during his boxing career to date, but has decided to play a different role with Silva. He is promoting the bout under his Most Valuable Promotions banner, and invited Silva's old rival and now pal Chael Sonnen to host their launch press conferences, sparking nostalgia and good feeling in the MMA community.
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However, it will be anything but friendly when Paul steps into the ring, where he feels he will be taking on not just Silva but the entire sport of MMA. “He’s definitely representing the MMA community," Paul said. "I think he just doesn’t want that pressure, maybe because even Tyron [Woodley] said the same thing.
“Clearly they are representing the MMA community, and tons of the MMA fans want to see me lose, because there is a feud between us all. So he definitely is representing his legacy and all that. And the reason this fight is happening is because Dana White said I wouldn’t do it. So I had to check his bluff and prove to everyone, including him, that I’m not scared of Anderson Silva. …
"So this is definitely MMA vs. I guess myself. Knock him out before Round 5 – that’s my prediction and I strong, strongly believe in that, respectfully knock him out. With love and grace and a kiss.”
