For as weird as combat sports can get, the idea of seeing Jake Paul box Anderson Silva might be the weirdest thing of all.
And that is really saying a lot.
I don’t mean it as any knock on Paul, Silva or the promotion putting the bout on. Honestly, Paul has trained himself and become a legit boxer, and we all know just how great “The Spider” is.
It is still just crazy to imagine that a person more famous for what they did on YouTube is going to compete against an athlete many believe is the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time.
But it is happening, and happening soon.
Paul vs. Silva is set to take place Saturday, October 29 live on pay-per-view. The event takes place from the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Paul, a perfect 5-0 with four knockouts, meets Silva, who is 3-1 as a boxer, in an eight-round bout to be contested at 187 pounds. During his brief career, Paul has finished Tyron Woodley twice and Ben Askren.
Like Silva, Woodley is a former UFC champion, and Askren once held the Bellator title for years.
Silva, meanwhile, retired from MMA two years ago and moved into boxing again. He is coming off back-to-back wins over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz.
The card will also feature Ashton Sylve putting his perfect record on the line opposite Braulio Rodriguez and Alexandro Santiago vs. Antonio Nieves
Former NFL superstar Le’Veon Bell returns to action after knocking out Adrian Peterson, as he goes against Uriah Hall, another former UFC fighter.