Fans have been waiting for a Jake Paul fight for some time as his most recent walk into the ring was back in December 2021 against Tyron Woodley. Paul has had a couple of fights arranged since then, one against the brother of Tyson Fury and Love Island star, Tommy Fury, another against professional boxer Hasim Rahman Jr, both of which fell through. Recently Jake Paul confirmed that he will be stepping into the ring again soon as he is set to fight Anderson Silva on October 29th.
Jake Paul’s Career So Far
Given he started off as a Disney actor and YouTube star, it has been hard for Jake Paul to be taken seriously in the fighting world. He kicked off his career with a bout against fellow YouTuber and brother of global superstar KSI, Deji. This fight took place in 2018 and saw Jake begin his career, as he won by TKO in the fifth round.
Paul’s next fight was against AnEsonGib in 2020, which he also won by stoppage. Jake then stopped fighting YouTubers and turned his attention toward pro athletes such as Nate Robinson, Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren, all of which he beat. Though his record is impressive, boxing fans are still yet to take the Problem Child seriously, arguing that all of his fights have been against people whose first sport isn’t boxing.
The Odds Against Silva
There are a lot of people out there commenting that Jake Paul has finally bitten off more than he can chew, recognising Anderson Silva as very much fit and one of the best fighters in MMA history. This is certainly reflected in the odds as Jake Paul is being considered the underdog, with Silva’s odds at -130 and Paul’s at -110.
This could have been slightly different where the fight to be happening a few months later as then, Paul’s home state of Ohio would have more access to betting. Currently, the Ohio Casino Control Commission is accepting type-C sports betting licenses but all betting apps won’t go live in the state until January 1st, 2023. There are sites available that will provide more information for people wanting to bet on Paul’s future fights, so be sure to check out BonusFinder for more information and how the apps will work in Ohio.
Eddie Hearn’s Comments
One of the most surprising elements in the build-up to this fight was the comments of Eddie Hearn, someone who has previously spoken out against Jake. Despite the fact Paul is being labelled as the underdog, rival promoter Hearn has made comments about Silva, saying, “I don’t think he beats Jake because I think Jake is young, and I think he can punch a bit, and I’m intrigued to watch, and I like what Jake’s doing. It’s kind of him against the world.” These comments are quite surprising given only in recent press conferences did Hearn say he didn’t think Jake was any good.
October 29th, 2022
Boxing and MMA fans around the world will all be tuning in on October 29th as Problem Child, Jake Paul is set to face one of the best MMA fighters to step into the Octagon, Anderson Silva. This is certainly one of the hardest fights Jake has taken on and despite Silva still not having boxing as his primary sport, fans everywhere are bound to have respect for the YouTuber if he wins.
This was even solidified by Paul’s rival, Eddie Hearn, who as well as predicting a Paul win said, “to defeat Anderson Silva while boxing is still a very impressive part of his repertoire, he’s still not a boxer, and he’s 47 years of age, but he’s a tough guy, he has a huge profile, he can box, and I think he’ll be competitive”