Should a Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva matchup be the next chapter in the boxing journey of the YouTuber turned pugilist? Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman thinks so.
Paul has become a combat sports sensation in record time by being the rare athlete that entered boxing with a sizable fan base in tow. Yet, his unprecedented success is solely based on being able to bring new fans to boxing. No, “The Problem Child” has become one of the biggest talents in sports by winning fights. And in devastating fashion.
The 24-year-old once again proved that his fight skills are deserving of respect by lamping former UFC welterweight champion Tryon Woodley in their rematch two weeks ago in Tampa, Fla. The stunning sixth-round knockout win over “The Chosen One” kept Paul’s record spotless at 5-0 and also was his fourth KO victory.
Chris Weidman makes the case for a Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva fight next
However, Paul does have many detractors who have some fair points. His hit list includes a former NBA point guard, and two MMA champions, who built their resumes competing at 170-pounds. Woodley most likely cut a minimal amount of weight to make the 190-pound limit for his two fights with Paul. The same can’t be said for his opponent, who was noticably gaunt at the weigh-ins for their Dec. 18 rematch.
Being the bigger man in his fights is something Weidman believes has been advantageous for Paul — at least in his last three bout. “All American” firmly feels that if the boxing star faced someone his own size then his fights would go very differently. It’s why he isn’t interested in seeing Paul possibly fight UFC stars like Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, and Kamaru Usman next. Firstly, because he doesn’t think the UFC will let it happen, but mostly because those men are similar in size to Woodley. Instead, Weidman thinks there is a perfect opponent out there with a prominent MMA legacy, is already competing in boxing, and is more naturally suited for a 190-pound fight.
“I think he’s alright, but I don’t think a guy around his own size he has any chance with. When I watch his boxing; even the first four rounds I did think Tyron was winning. I thought it was terribly boring. I think it was one punch, clinch, one punch, clinch. But at least they were kind of going after each other. I would love to see him fight Anderson Silva,” Weidman said on his Won’t Back Down podcast. “He’s calling out all these fighters with UFC contracts. None of those are really going to happen at this point.
“Unless you’re drawing in $500 million like the [Floyd] Mayweather and Conor McGregor fights were doing, the UFC’s not doing that because they want to split it. So [we’re] wasting our time even talking about Diaz, Masvidal, and Usman. Just a waste of time talking about it, but that’s how he’s amping himself up making himself sound like he’ll fight anybody,” he added. “But he’s calling out all smaller guys. Anderson Silva is not under contract. He’s a professional boxer. He’s been looking great. He beat a former world champion in his [debut] fight. And they’re right around the same weight, same size. Why aren’t we hearing him call Anderson Silva out? I would love to see that.”
Silva (34-11) brought his MMA career to an end in 2020 after losing three straight fights in the UFC. The 46-year-old made the switch to boxing in June. Beating former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. by split decision. He followed that win up in Sept. by crushing former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz with first-round KO in the co-main event of a Triller Fight Club card.
Before being booked to face Ortiz, the Brazilian was rumored to face Paul’s brother Logan in an exhibition matchup.
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