Michael Bisping explains why Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva didn't generate big PPV numbers - "A lot of those boxing purists aren't going to buy it"
Michael Bisping recently shared his thoughts on why the boxing match between Jake Paul and Anderson Silva did not make a high number of PPV sales.
Jake Paul recently defeated UFC legend Anderson Silva in an eight-round boxing match at the Desert Diamond Arena in Arizona. However, the hype behind Paul fighting someone as experienced as Silva was not enough to result in a high number of pay-per-view buys. Paul claimed he predicted that the PPV purchase numbers would be around 200k-300k, which was "upsetting" to him.
Jake Paul reveals “upsetting” pay-per-view numbers, unofficially predicting 200-300k buys from his fight with Anderson Silva. [@impaulsive] https://t.co/klzEnKb8mK
On his Believe You Me Podcast, 'The Count' shared his opinion on why the fight did not do higher PPV buys:
"I think to be honest, I'm not trying to be insulting, a lot of those boxing purists aren't going to buy it. The boxing purist isn't going to buy a Jake Paul vs Anderson Silva fight because it isn't a real boxing fight...but it is a YouTuber who is yet to face an actual boxer."
He placed emphasis on the fact that Paul has indeed never fought boxers but instead focused on fighting MMA fighters. Michael Bisping further stated:
"He's yet to face a boxer, that's everyone's only criticism. He's not ranked as a boxer, there's no way he can be ranked because he's only fighting MMA fighters."
The 43-year-old attributed the disappointing number of PPV buys for the Paul vs. Silva fight to the lack of appeal to hardcore fans of the sport. Boxing purists, as he referred to them, were not interested in watching the former Disney star fight an established MMA fighter who many consider one of the greatest in the history of MMA.
Watch the interview below:
Michael Bisping gives his take on upcoming Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira fight
Michael Bisping analyzed the upcoming UFC 281 main event that takes place next weekend, sharing his thoughts on the middleweight title fight between Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira.
'The Count' stated that he does not believe Periera will be scared of 'Izzy' and will be aiming to move forward instead of being defensive:
"He’s going to go forward because he went out there and he beat Izzy, in kickboxing, twice. It reinforces his mind that he is a better striker and a better fighter."
However, Michael Bisping recognized that Adesanya has successfully defended his middleweight title five times and has improved his fighting game over time:
"Israel Adesanya is for real, I mean the reflexes that he has and the technical ability with takedown defense as well....with all the years that Israel has been doing MMA don't be surprised if Israel tricks him with a little takedown of his own...just to prove a point."
Watch the video below: