"Why does that HAVE to be the fight?" - Ariel Helwani on a possible Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva bout

left to right: Ariel Helwani, Jake Paul and Anderson Silva [Image Courtesy: @mostvaluablepromotions on Instagram and Getty]

Speculation surrounding the possibility of a Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva matchup has been doing the rounds on social media lately. 'The Spider' recently put on an impressive showing against Bruno Machado in an exhibition bout in Abu Dhabi, sparking rumors of a potential fight between the former UFC middleweight champion and 'The Problem Child'.

Ariel Helwani, host of The MMA Hour, doesn't believe that Silva is the next logical opponent for Paul. Citing the age-gap between the duo, Helwani said:

"I saw a lot of talk [about], 'Jake Paul has to fight Anderson. That's the fight.' You know what? I disagree. Why does this have to be the fight? Here's the thing, I'm down if it's the fight. But why does it have to be the fight? Why do a 47-year-old vs. a 25-year-old, how come that's the fight?"

Helwani went on to suggest a fight between Paul and English boxer Tommy Fury, brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The duo were slated to lock horns last year, but 'TNT' was forced to pull out after sustaining a rib injury, in addition to a bacterial infection.

Watch Ariel Helwani discuss a potential Paul vs. Silva bout below:

Silva recorded back-to-back victories over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz in 2021, taking his professional boxing record to 3-1. While his last bout against Bruno Machado was technically an exhibition, 'The Spider' looked on-point throughout.

Meanwhile, Paul's professional record stands at 5-0. He holds knockout victories over former NBA player Nate Robinson, former Bellator and ONE champion Ben Askren, as well as former UFC champion Tyron Woodley.

I’ve KO’ed everyone I’ve fought. https://t.co/Pz55uCIHc4

Jake Paul jibes at Anderson Silva online

Jake Paul has confirmed that he will be returning to the ring in August later this year. His next opponent is yet to be confirmed, with MMA icon Anderson Silva and British boxer Tommy Fury reportedly the top two options on the table for 'The Problem Child'.

After Silva's latest showing, Paul took to Twitter to post a meme, photoshopping his face over an exterminator's, insinuating that he's considering a fight against 'The Spider'.

🥱🥱🥱 https://t.co/7CjWssrXe7