Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva Reportedly in 'Serious Talks' for Boxing Match

Jake Paul is reportedly in talks to clash with UFC legend Anderson Silva in his next highly anticipated boxing match at 185 pounds, The MMA Hour's Ariel Helwani reports.

According to TMZ Sports, the fight would occur in October, although the specific date and location remain unclear.

Paul has not fought since December due to multiple cancellations. He was supposed to fight Tommy Fury at Madison Square Garden in New York City earlier this month, but Fury was pulled from the fight amid visa issues. Fury was replaced by Hasim Rahman Jr., but that bout was also called off due to a disagreement over the fighting weight.

Many pundits have called Paul's level of competition into question, as he has yet to face a legitimate professional boxer during his five-fight career.

While the YouTube star is 5-0 with four knockouts, his wins have come over fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib, former NBA guard Nate Robinson and a pair of former UFC fighters in Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley.

Like Askren and Woodley, Silva is a former UFC fighter, although he is considered one of the all-time greats.

During an MMA career that spanned 23 years, Silva went 34-11 with 23 wins by way of knockout. He also held the UFC middleweight title and owns the all-time record with a title reign of 2,457 days.

Silva was middleweight champ from 2006 through 2013, winning 15 consecutive fights during his reign. That included victories over Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and several other notable names.

The Spider clearly wasn't the same after dropping the title to Chris Weidman at UFC 162, as he went just 1-7 with one no-contest in his final nine fights.

Silva, 47, has found success in the world of boxing since retiring from MMA, however, going 2-0 in two bouts last year.

He most recently defeated fellow former UFC star Tito Ortiz, but his most impressive win came over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by split decision.

Chavez, who is the son of Mexican boxing legend Julio Cesar Chavez, is 53-6-1 as a pro boxer and once held the WBC middleweight title.

If Paul vs. Silva happens, it will represent Paul's toughest challenge to date, given what Silva has accomplished in both MMA and boxing.

Silva is 22 years Paul's senior, meaning he has the experience edge as a fighter, while Paul perhaps has the advantage from a physical perspective.