"Jake Paul is a free agent" - Ariel Helwani says Paul's Showtime deal is done

Jake Paul (left) and Ariel Helwani (right) [Photo credit: Getty and MMAFightingonSBN on YouTube.com]

Combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani revealed that Jake Paul's deal with Showtime Sports has come to an end.

Helwani discussed the possibility of a Paul vs. Anderson Silva during an episode of The MMA Hour with colleagues 'GC' and 'NewYorkRic.' During their conversation, Helwani casually slipped in the fact that the YouTuber is currently a free agent after his two-fight contract with Showtime had expired.

"By the way, a not really talked about thing, the fact that Jake Paul is a free agent right now, TV-wise," Helwani said. "He had a two-fight deal with Showtime. I mean, that doesn't really affect the viewer at home, but I'm kind of interested to see where that story goes."

Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below:

Paul, of course, inked a contract with the broadcasting company in May 2021. The deal ended after back-to-back fights with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

It's still unclear whether Paul will re-sign with Showtime or look for a new network to air his fights. He had previously been associated with Triller Fight Club.

Ariel Helwani weighs in on potential Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva bout

Paul recently sparked a conversation about a potential fight between himself and Silva after the latter's latest win against Bruno Machado. 'The Problem Child' took to Twitter to post a badly-edited meme in an apparent shot at the former UFC champion.

🥱🥱🥱 https://t.co/7CjWssrXe7

I would beat Floyd and Anderson in the same night 🫠

However, Ariel Helwani isn't convinced Silva is the most logical next opponent for the YouTube star. On the same episode of The MMA Hour, 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 also argued that a Tommy Fury fight could be a more viable option for Paul. As far as the reporter is concerned, Paul's history with Fury, along with the inevitable involvement of Tyson Fury, would make for a more compelling matchup.