His toughest test yet?
Jake Paul is set to face UFC legend Anderson Silva in his next boxing match, according to reports.
Paul, 25, is currently 5-0 as a professional boxer, with his last victory coming against former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in their rematch in December.
Paul was due to return to the ring on August 6 against former sparring partner Hasim Rahman Jr at Madison Square Garden.
But the event was cancelled at late notice due to a dispute over the weight class for the bout.
Paul is now plotting his next move and could be in line to face another former UFC fighter in Silva.
According to KEEMSTAR, Paul will fight the Brazilian later this year, with the bout set to be announced this week.
The event is expected to take place on October 29 and will serve as the main event of a Showtime pay-per-view.
Paul has already confirmed he will make his comeback in October without revealing the identity of his opponent.
Silva is widely viewed as one of the greatest mixed martial artists in history (Image: Alamy)
Earlier this month, he tweeted: “My next opponent will be a pro boxer and of course he will have a winning record just like Timmy [Tommy Fury] and Ramen [Rahman Jr] did before they pulled out. October.”
He double down on those claims this week, adding: “Just got the call. Massive opponent announcement this week. October.”
Silva is widely viewed as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
He holds the record for the longest title reign in UFC history, having held the middleweight title 2,457 days between 2006 and 2013 – a run which included 16 consecutive victories in the octagon.
After leaving the UFC in 2020, Silva returned to the sport of boxing – having previously fought once in the ring, losing his debut fight to Osmar Luiz Teixeira in 1998.
He has since fought professionally three times – beating Julio Cesar De Jesus, former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and most recently former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in September of last year.
In May, Silva also scored a brutal knockdown of Bruno Machado in a non-judged exhibition bout in Abu Dhabi.
The 47-year-old now looks set to become Paul’s sixth opponent and is likely to provide the American with his toughest test yet, despite his age.
Can Paul beat Silva? Let us know your thoughts.
