Anderson Silva's trainer, Luiz Carlos Dorea, has warned Jake Paul that he will be made to "pay dearly" if he fights the UFC legend in his next bout.
The ex-middleweight champion was dropped from MMA's top promotion in 2020 after losing seven of his last nine fights. But he has had a resurgence in his career after switching to boxing in his forties, defeating former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and viciously knocking out Tito Ortiz in his return to the ring.
And after dominating Bruno Machado in an exhibition bout last weekend on Floyd Mayweather's Dubai undercard, Paul claimed that he could defeat the UFC icon, as well as Mayweather, in one night. Silva tends to remain coy about call-outs, having opted not to engage in trash talk throughout his lengthy fighting career, and chose not to publicly respond to Paul.
But his long-time coach Dorea has told the YouTuber-turned-boxer that he will be made to pay for his call-out should negotiations work out for a summer bout between the pair. No deal has yet been made for Silva to fight Paul on his August 13 ring return, and the Brazilian is expected back in the ring in Dubai this October.
“You have to laugh, right? Have to laugh,” Dorea said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “ Jake Paul is doing his part, which is to promote. It’s obvious there’s no way he can face Mayweather, one of the best boxers of all time, and Anderson, another legend. He never fought a striker.
“He has to think of an exhibition. If he’s considering a [full professional] fight, I think he will pay dearly. In promoting, it’s all valid. He’s doing his part, using his tongue, but you can’t use your tongue inside the ring. You have to use your fists, and it’s a whole other story. Anderson is far better.”
Silva's resurgence in his career has earned him plaudits after he was brutally cut from the UFC at the end of his legendary run in the promotion. Dana White vowed never to allow him to fight under his banner again in 2020 after his final fight with Uriah Hall, but he could be set to make millions against Paul if the deal is made.
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He headlined a major show in Mexico against Chavez Jr last summer, defeating the home fighter in an upset decision victory. He then brutalised fellow ex-UFC champion Ortiz within minutes on Evander Holyfield's comeback undercard last year before facing Machado in Dubai.
“Anderson has always trained boxing when he was fighting MMA,” Dorea continued. “He was always a striker with good boxing and muay Thai.
"Now, almost two years later and the three [boxing matches] we’ve done, and training boxing specifically for this, Anderson is evolving a lot. He’s more confident in his movement and defence. He had great boxing for MMA, and is putting on a show now. His level is so high.”
