Anderson Silva insists he is fighting for the passion of the sport, and isn't taking on Jake Paul simply for the sizeable payout which comes from facing the YouTube star.
Paul has emerged as one of the most profitable stars in the boxing world since turning professional at the start of 2020, and has made millions from the sport in his five professional bouts and one white collar outing. Now, he takes a considerable step up in UFC legend Silva, who has a winning professional boxing record and a number of physical advantages.
However, critics have claimed that the fight is little more than a cash-grab for 47-year-old Silva, whose best days in the UFC were over a decade ago. And the Brazilian insists that he is doing fine financially, and doesn't need the money even though he will earn a substantial payday for the bout.
“I don’t need the money anymore," he said. “People think money is important, but it’s not. Of course, I will make money from this fight because It’s my job. Don’t do something just for the money. Work because you have a passion. That’s what I’ve done and why I’ve been successful all my life.”
The Brazilian has found a new lease on life in the boxing, despite the fact that he approaches the age of 50. Last year, he returned after years out of the ring to beat ex-world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Mexico, before viciously knocking out former UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz a few months later.
This year, he was reduced to just one exhibition bout on Floyd Mayweather's undercard in Dubai, where he dropped fellow Brazilian Bruno Machado in a bout that went the distance. No winner was announced due to the event not being fully professional, but Silva dominated proceedings.
Who do you think wins on Saturday night; Jake Paul or Anderson Silva? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
“It’s different because you have seven different disciplines in MMA," he explained. "But for boxing, I’m just training for boxing. I need to train more with my footwork, the position of my hands. But I’ve been training for boxing for many, many years. So it’s something I’m comfortable doing.
“Every single fight, you have different things you train for. Every fight is different. For this fight, I’m training to fight a boxer. The most important thing going into this fight is my experience. My experience is something that Jake doesn’t have. I love this challenge. That’s the secret to me. I go into this fight to prove my respect to the boxing community.”
Paul has been uncharacteristically respectful in the build-up to this weekend's clash, given that he was a childhood fan of the UFC legend. And Silva has reciprocated, insisting that this will be a challenging bout and taking his training camp as seriously as any other fight he has had in recent times.
