The rumored boxing match between an MMA legend and a social media legend has come to fruition.
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul will fight former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva in an Oct. 29 boxing match in Phoenix, Paul’s promotion announced Tuesday. It will be his sixth pro bout and Silva’s third after he moved on from his lengthy MMA career.
Paul has been a polarizing figure with MMA fans. Even though he’s boxing, he’s been front and center in the MMA world because he’s fought former champions Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley and has knockouts wins over each of them. He’s also been highly critical of UFC president Dana White when it comes to UFC fighter pay.
Paul critics have been saying he needs to fight a high-end opponent – not that Askren and Woodley weren’t – and Silva may be just the kind of win that makes those critics officially pay attention. On the flip side, a Silva win over one of the biggest names in combat sports right now would be a pretty huge deal.
But is this matchup the one that will get MMA fans on board with Paul?
That’s the question we asked our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Dan Tom and Danny Segura, who discussed the topic with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their conversation in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.
