Jake Paul WILL fight Anderson Silva this weekend after the crossover boxing bout was given the green light.
The fight was in danger of being cancelled when Silva revealed he had been knocked out twice as he sparred in preparation for the bout. He later rowed back on the claims and insisted he had simply used the wrong words in English.
But the Arizona Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission decided to investigate and held an emergency meeting on Thursday night to determine whether Silva was fit to compete. They ultimately concluded the 47-year-old can take on 25-year-old YouTuber Paul in what will be the latter's sixth professional outing.
Arizona commissioner Ara J. Feinstein admitted he was initially “concerned” over Silva's comments about being knocked out, but was comfortable about the fight going ahead once the UFC legend submitted medical examinations and a statement from his trainer.
"Given all the work we’ve done on concussion protocol and emphasis we’ve been placing on fighter safety, it just left me really concerned,” Feinstein said. “However, once I had further information, the letter from Silva, the written statement from his trainer, and more importantly, the results of the medical examinations and the approval of the physician reading the report, I became much more comfortable and I have no objections to Mr. Silva participating in the event this Saturday.”
Had the commission decided not to sanction the fight, Paul would have been faced with his third cancelled fight in a little over two months. The social media star had been due to face Tommy Fury in August before the Brit pulled out after being banned from flying to America.
Paul drafted in Hasim Rahman Jr at short notice but that fight also collapsed over a disagreement about the weight limit. Paul was forced to cancel the entire show before turning his attention to former UFC middleweight champion Silva.
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And he is confident he has what it takes to earn a sixth victory as a professional. "I’m about to fight my idol, it doesn’t get better than that," Paul said. “I have more than what it takes. My heart and the power of my mind are my greatest attributes. People are going to realise that on Saturday night and I’m here to show out for the fans.
"I have had plenty of big fights already, but I think you can call this a mega fight. It’s going to be all action. I want to knock him out within the first five rounds. That’s the goal."
Silva previously insisted he was not worried about being prevented from fighting, and said: "This is two generations coming together to do something awesome. I feel so lucky. I can control what I do in my training, but I don’t worry about the things that I can’t.
"I remain focused with a positive mindset. I try to continue to do this for myself. I do it because I love it. I do this for myself, for my fans and for my team with all the respect in the world for the boxing community."
