YouTube star Jake Paul is off to an undefeated start in his professional boxing career, with a 5–0 record dating back to January 2020. On Tuesday, he made official what should be the biggest test he’s had in the ring to date: a fight against UFC great Anderson Silva.
The news comes a week after it was reported the two were set to face off on Oct. 29. It comes after Paul’s Aug. 6 fight with Hasim Rahman Jr. fell through, as Rahman failed to make weight for the bout. Paul’s last fight came in Dec. 2021, when he knocked out Tyron Woodley in the sixth round to claim a second-straight win against the former UFC welterweight champion.
While Woodley was accomplished in the Mixed Martial Arts world, Silva, 47, is one of the sport’s all-time greats. He held the UFC middleweight title from April 2006 until July 2013, winning 16 UFC bouts during the run. He has stepped away from MMA and has been focused on boxing since late ’20. He has a 3–1 career record as a pro, dating back to 1998, and is 2–0 since June ’21.
