LAS VEGAS – Dana White is sick of talking about Jake Paul, but even he tipped his cap, albeit however small, at the notion of the YouTuber-turned-boxer fighting Anderson Silva – if the rumors are true, of course.
At a Dana White’s Contender Series 52 post-fight news conference Tuesday, White expressed his distaste and disgust for Paul-related questioning at his news conferences – reluctantly weighed in on the matchup anyway.
“I don’t give a sh*t, do you know what I mean?” White told reporters including MMA Junkie. “If he’s really fighting Anderson Silva, and that’s true, it’s about time he’s got a real fight on his hands there. Regardless of how old Anderson is, yeah, that’s a real fight.”
Paul vs. Silva has not been confirmed, but multiple outlets reported Monday and Tuesday the bout is being finalized for Oct. 29. Veteran boxing journalist Dan Rafael also reported Phoenix as the targeted location for the Showtime pay-per-view event.
Paul, 25, is 5-0 but has never faced an opponent with previous boxing experience (with the exception of his Tyron Woodley rematch, in which Woodley’s only past experience was their first meeting). It’s not without attempts, however, as matchups against boxers Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr. were canceled when Paul’s opponents pulled out.
Paul holds wins over former UFC fighters Woodley and Askren, as well as former NBA standout Nate Robinson and YouTuber Ali Enson Gib.
Silva, 47, is 3-0 in boxing. After his UFC departure in 2020, Silva reentered the boxing world – a place he went 1-0 prior to mainstream MMA tenure. In his post-UFC boxing appearances, Silva won a split decision over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and knocked out Tito Ortiz.