YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul made an unconventional entrance to the open workouts on Wednesday night ahead of his showdown with Anderson Silva.
This weekend, Paul and Silva will main event a Showtime pay-per-view, set to go down from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Days out from the event, the notable names competing on the card, including former UFC middleweight Uriah Hall and Stockton fighter Chris Avila, took to the ring for the open workouts.
Of course, most of the attention was directed at the two headliners — although not entirely just at how they hit the pads…
Before lacing the gloves, Paul arrived at the open workouts in some style, riding a horse to the ring while Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road” played in the background.
Paul’s move comes a week after Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo pulled up to the Circuit of the Americas track in Austin riding a horse.
Should we be expecting Israel Adesanya to arrive at Madison Square Garden on a horse next month!?
Paul vs. Silva: Dancing, Horse-Riding… Boxing
Paul’s unique entrance is the latest lighthearted moment of what’s been a different type of fight buildup for “The Problem Child.” At the start of fight week, Paul and Silva engaged in a brief dance-off while seemingly filming some promotional material.
In previous contests, including his wins over former MMA champions Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren, the trash talk was evident throughout fight week and the months leading up to it. But as he gears up to face one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time, the former Disney star has been nothing but respectful.
The same goes for Silva, who’s shown appreciation for Paul’s venture into the sport. Like the Ohio native, “The Spider” is a relatively new figure inside the ring. After departing the UFC in 2020, Silva looked to continue building his legacy in a new way.
And with victories over former WBC middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. and fellow former UFC titleholder Tito Ortiz, the Brazilian has firmly reinvented himself in a new sport, something he’ll look to further prove by blemishing Paul’s boxing record for the first time.
Who do you think will have their hand raised on Saturday night, Jake Paul or Anderson Silva?