"He's got a real fight on his hands" - Dana White reacts to rumors of Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva
While speaking to the media after the recent Dana White's Contender Series (DWCS) card, the UFC president weighed in on rumors of Jake Paul fighting Anderson Silva. As per reports, 'The Problem Child' will return to the squared circle against the UFC legend on Showtime's pay-per-view on October 29.
Many have criticized Paul for continuing to pick retired opponents, with some even believing that 'The Problem Child' will knock Silva out. However, UFC president Dana White isn't amongst those counting 'The Spider' out. White is confident that his former middleweight champion will present a legitimate threat to Paul even at the ripe age of 47. The UFC boss told reporters at the DWCS Season 6, Week 6 post-fight presser:
"If he's really fighting Anderson Silva, if that's true, it's about time. He's got a real fight on his hands there, regardless of how old Anderson is."
Dana White reluctantly reacts to reports of a @JakePaul vs. Anderson Silva boxing match.
"It's about time. He's got a real fight on his hands here." 🥊
More: bit.ly/3PWE6uw https://t.co/TTGa3wGc9n
Watch White's appearance at the post-fight scrum below:
The bout between Jake Paul and Anderson Silva was first reported to have been confirmed by @KEEMSTAR and @NoSmokeBoxing on Twitter. MMA Fighting’s Guilherme Cruz later confirmed from sources with knowledge of the matchup that the bout is in the works.
Sources: Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva Is Signed And Set To Fight On October 29th‼️😳
nosmokeboxing.com/jake-paul-vs-a… 🔗🔥
@jakepaul @LoganPaul @SpiderAnderson @Showtime @ShowtimeBoxing @MostVpromotions @NSBDale @EverythingBoxi2 @HarryNSB @jayalby89 @combatconvos
Jake Paul slides to underdog status after opening as sizable favorite against Anderson Silva
Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) had recently guaranteed that 'The Problem Child' would be a betting underdog against his next opponent.
Next week we will announce JAKE PAUL’s next opponent. @jakepaul will almost certainly be the underdog. He knows that and he wants that.
However, Paul opened up as a sizeable -180 favorite against Anderson Silva after their fight was reported to have been confirmed. Meanwhile, the former UFC middleweight champion opened as a +150 underdog. However, the odds shifted quickly with 'The Problem Child' sliding down to a +100 underdog status while Silva turned a -130 favorite.
Here are the odds for Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva:
Jake Paul +100 (1/1)
Anderson Silva -130 (10/13)
The odds opened at Paul -180 (5/9) and Silva +150 (3/2).
(odds via @betonline_ag) 🥊 #PaulSilva https://t.co/VSMxDuVeUb
As per proboxingodds.com, Silva currently stands as the -155 favorite against Paul's +125 underdog status.
If the bout comes to fruition, this will be Jake Paul's biggest opportunity so far to establish himself as a legitimate boxer. 'The Problem Child' will also be happy to return to the ring as his last two bouts have fallen through.
Paul was initially scheduled to face Tyson Fury's half-brother Tommy, who pulled out both times as the fight came close to fruition. More recently, the YouTuber-turned-boxer seemed set to face Hasim Rahman Jr. on August 6 but the bout was once again botched due to Rahman Jr.'s weight cut issues.
Meanwhile, Silva currently holds a 3-1 boxing record but has gone 2-0 since returning to the squared circle after his retirement from MMA. 'The Spider' defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via split decision and Tito Ortiz via knockout last year.