Jake Paul has put mixed martial arts fans in an awkward position.
Over the last year, the YouTuber-turned-professional boxer has gleefully positioned himself as a kind of saviour in waiting for UFC fighters, openly addressing the pay disparity between MMA’s flagship promotion and the top leagues in other major sports.
It is a matter on which most fans agree with the 25-year-old, despite the obnoxiousness with which the American tackles most endeavours. Well, now he is indeed tackling Endeavor – the UFC’s ownership group – and his commitment to the cause is mirrored in the discipline with which he has approached his pro-boxing venture.
Not only has the former Disney star dedicated himself to proper training with experienced coaches along the way to building a 5-0 record, but he has also tried his hand at promotion and played a key role in ensuring that Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano secured the biggest purses in women’s boxing history earlier this year.
Whatever your thoughts on Paul’s personality, he has earned admiration for his application. And many MMA fans have given Paul his plaudits less tentatively than their boxing equivalents, some of whom have accused him of carnivalising their sport.
But even Paul’s defenders in the MMA world will surely be lowering their shields this weekend, as their boxing counterparts sharpen their swords. Because on Saturday night, Paul will look to move to 6-0 as he takes on one of MMA’s sparkling icons: Anderson Silva.
The Brazilian’s name carries with it many memories for the MMA faithful, and many numbers. Silva’s early performances in the UFC were game-changing on account of his slick striking offence and Matrix-esque defence, and he went on to establish himself as the greatest mixed martial artist of all time in the minds of many. Silva’s seven-year run as middleweight champion remains the longest in any division in UFC history, and the corresponding 16-fight win streak also represents an unbroken UFC record.
There is an element of antiquity to the 47-year-old’s accolades, however, with Silva’s MMA record since losing his UFC title in 2013 reading: loss, loss, no contest, loss, loss, win, loss, loss, loss.
The most recent of those results came almost exactly two years ago to the day, and in the time since then Silva has boxed twice. Last September, he knocked out fellow former UFC champion Tito Ortiz, three months after stunning boxing fans by outpointing former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez, who was still just 35 at the time.
Silva had boxed twice before, losing his pro debut in 1998 and recording a win seven years later, meaning his experience in the sport is not distinctly different to Paul’s.
The key difference, however, is that the Brazilian has not only fought a professional boxer, but an ex-world champion – and one not as far past their prime as they looked – in Chavez Jr.
That is one criticism that has been leveled against Paul: that the American has not yet taken on a pro boxer, though it has not been for a lack of trying in recent months, as the YouTuber looks to take the natural next step on his in-ring journey.
After knocking out ex-NBA star Nate Robinson in 2020, Paul stopped former UFC fighter and ex-MMA champion Ben Askren, whose success in the cage was admittedly built on his Olympic-level wrestling skills rather than his striking. A sensible next move was to fight Askren’s teammate Woodley, a former UFC champion also known for his wrestling but with greater aptitude for striking than his friend. Paul narrowly outpointed Woodley last August before knocking him out in stunning fashion in December, when his compatriot stepped in for Tommy Fury.
Fury, half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson, withdrew from his scheduled bout with Paul citing injury and illness, and the 23-year-old saw another planned clash with the American fall through this August. On that occasion, travel complications prevented Fury from sharing a ring with Paul at New York City’s Madison Square Garden, leading Hasim Rahman Jr to be named as a replacement for the Briton. However, Rahman Jr, son of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, failed to complete his weight cut, and the entire event was subsequently cancelled. (Paul, it is worth noting, paid all undercard fighters 50 per cent of their purses anyway.)
And that has led Paul to Silva. Facing a professional boxer seemed not only to be the natural next step on Paul’s journey but also a potential endgame for the YouTuber. The issue is: this Saturday’s meeting with Silva may mark that same endgame before Paul has even had the chance to take on an actual pro boxer.
Silva, despite his advanced age in the sport, has the greatest striking pedigree of any of Paul’s opponents and arguably of any champion in UFC history. The 47-year-old is the betting underdog against Paul, and it is not difficult to envision the younger fighter knocking out Silva as he has done to every other opponent he has faced, but Paul looked largely impotent for much of his first fight with Woodley and for five rounds in their rematch.
If the 25-year-old’s showing on Saturday resembles either of those performances, then he is liable to be picked apart and outpointed by Silva.
Such a result would mark a damp ending to Paul’s incendiary boxing career, but it is likelier than some think.
