Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva: Fight Odds, Live Stream, Predictions
Jake Paul will attempt to maintain his unblemished boxing record against UFC legend Anderson Silva in the main event of the latest Showtime Boxing pay-per-view from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
The 25-year-old Paul has gone from YouTube sensation to popular boxing draw with a string of victories over fellow YouTubers and former MMA stars. However, Silva is the most accomplished of them all.
The Spider will go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time, and this isn't his first foray into boxing.
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So the table is set for Paul to see his biggest test to date on a card that also features former All-Pro NFL running back Le'Veon Bell taking on former UFC fighter Uriah Hall. Here's a look at all the info you need to catch the fight and the latest odds.
When: Saturday, October 29
Where: Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale, Arizona
Start Time: Main card starts at 9 p.m. ET
Odds: Paul -260 (wager $260 to win $100); Silva +205 ($100 wager wins $205), via DraftKings Sportsbook
Live Stream: Showtime Boxing
It's a bit surprising that Paul will come in as a favorite. He has been impressive in the ring to this point, but no one he's fought has the resume of Silva. Both Askren and Tyron Woodley had their successes in MMA, but neither was a prolific striker.
Askren was known for his wrestling, while Woodley only developed his devastating one-punch power later in his career and was never the kind to actually box with his opponents.
The same can't be said for Silva. The Spider was adept at muay thai and kicks in his MMA prime, but he's always been interested in boxing and showed off some of those skills in the cage.
The 185-pound legend wanted a boxing match with Roy Jones Jr. as far back as 2008. But it never came to fruition with Silva's contractual obligations to the UFC. Silva won a boxing match in 2005 against Julio Cesar de Jesus.
Since then, Silva has had more opportunities to try his hand at the sweet science. He earned a split-decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. before knocking out fellow UFC alum Tito Ortiz.
The biggest question is how much juice the 47-year-old legend has left. So much of his striking game has been based on timing and elusiveness that it's hard to see him ducking and dodging all of Paul's offense.
The Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission had to have a special meeting to clear Silva to fight on Saturday night after Silva said in an interview he had been knocked out twice in training.
Silva told ESPN that he was joking and chalked it up to a mistake when speaking English. Silva's native language is Portuguese.
As talented and skilled as Silva is, he will still need to be in good shape to beat Paul. The YouTuber has demonstrated some ability in the ring and is over 20 years younger than his opponent.
Paul is nothing if not a showman, and he's upped the stakes for this bout with a bet that he announced at the pre-fight press conference.
If Silva wins the fight, Paul agreed to give the Brazilian a rematch in kickboxing. However, if Paul wins, then The Spider will help him to create a unified fighter's association to advocate for higher pay in the UFC and improved healthcare.
It's an interesting twist on an already intriguing pairing.
If Silva was anywhere close to his prime, this is a no-contest. Some parts of Silva's striking game wouldn't have translated to boxing, but his anticipation, timing and punching accuracy would have made him formidable.
That's not the version of him that will fight Paul, though. At his age, he just isn't as quick, powerful or agile as he once was.
Paul has carefully picked his opponents, but he's looked good against all of them. Expect his power and athleticism to carry the day.
Prediction: Paul via sixth-round knockout
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