Jake Paul has vowed to knock out Anderson Silva within five rounds after announcing he will face the UFC legend in his sixth professional fight.
Paul will take on 47-year-old Silva in Arizona on October 29, just over two months after he saw fights with first Tommy Fury and then Hasim Rahman Jr fall through. Silva, who was a long-reigning middleweight champion in the UFC, has a boxing record of 2-0 and should prove Paul's toughest test to date.
But the YouTube star vowed to knock out the Brazilian within five rounds when he announced the fight via a video on social media. And he later added: "Anderson Silva is the most versatile fighter the world has ever seen. Just a year ago he outclassed boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and showed the world why he is often referred to as the greatest fighter of all time.
"Every expert, from MMA to boxing, has said Jake Paul won’t fight Anderson Silva. They said Jake Paul is afraid of Anderson Silva, and Jake Paul would lose to Anderson Silva. Well, to all the non-believers – Jake Paul is fighting Anderson Silva.
"It’s an honour to have the opportunity to share the ring with the greatest UFC striker of all time. On Saturday, October 29, I will walk humbly into the ring, touch gloves with a living legend and do my best to exterminate 'The Spider'."
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Silva, who made 16 defences of his UFC title, lost five of his last fights in the cage before switching to the boxing ring. As well as outpointing Chavez Jr, he also knocked out fellow UFC legend Tito Ortiz before beating Bruno Machado in an exhibition bout on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather's recent ring return.
And Silva said: "I know that in life everything has its purpose. Nothing comes just by chance. So, I thank God for my health, my family and my team for providing me with this opportunity to continue doing the thing that I love the most. I believe this will be the biggest combat event of the year and will truly make history in the sport forever."
