Jake Paul has been told to avoid a fight with UFC legend Anderson Silva this summer.
The YouTube star will return to the ring on August 13 having been out of action since his rematch win over Tyron Woodley last December. Silva recently dominated his third boxing bout against Bruno Machado, which led to Paul issuing a call-out on social media.
And UFC welterweight Stephen Thompson believes Silva has the boxing ability to go one step further than Paul's previous opponents Woodley and Ben Askren. I don't think he [Paul] wants to finesse Anderson Silva", Thompson said on his YouTube channel. "Tyron Woodley is not Anderson Silva. Ben Askren is not Anderson Silva. I don't think Jake Paul would do that. I don't think so. I think Anderson Silva's got the finesse to beat him.
"I would pay money to see that fight, I would pay money to see Jake fall and Anderson win. Give him the shot, I think Jake Paul is going to have to jump off that ledge and fight a legitimate boxer and why not do it against Anderson Silva."
Silva produced another slick display against Machado, which followed his two prior victories in the boxing ring over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Tito Ortiz. The Brazilian is believed to be in the running to face Paul this summer alongside Tommy Fury and boxing legend Mike Tyson.
The YouTube star was quick to respond to Silva's display over Machado and called out his rival, with a photo declaring himself “pest control”, photoshopping himself next to a van with a picture of a spider, echoing Silva’s famous nickname. He also indicated he was bored by his rival's display by using yawning emojis.
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Paul's promotional label Most Valuable Promotions recently posted a poll to gauge interest in who fans wanted as his next opponent with Silva receiving the most votes. The 25-year-old has previously indicated he would wait until Silva's latest exhibition was complete before taking a decision.
Prior to his fight with Machado, Silva continued to hail the influence of Paul in the sport while refusing to rule out a bout. However, Paul has previously said the Brazilian must complete background checks before the pair can touch gloves.
"I think it would be a huge fight so sure, he's a legend of the sport, great head movement, great striking. For me I would love it, I have nothing but respect for Anderson," he told The MMA Hour. "I watched him growing up and was a fan of his. So it would be cool to get in there and see what would happen.
"However, there is the side of it that's like. He's 46 or 47 years old, so I would want him to go through lots of testing to make sure that's he's actually good to get into the ring. I wouldn't want some s*** that happened with like Vitor and Holyfield."
