Jake Paul was told he had to face real competition in a boxing ring. He did that and then one Saturday when “The Problem Child” took on former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. With all eyes on him, Paul was able to refute his doubters.
Paul beat Silva by unanimous decision 77-74, 78-73 and 78-73 points. He knocked out Silva in the eighth and final round, which got the crowd on their toes at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Paul is now 6-0 as a boxer.
And after defeating Silva, Paul is back on top of the world. He can say he defeated a legendary figure that gave him the fight of his life even at 47 years old.
Looking ahead, who’s next for Paul? He has options ranging from new pairings to resuming old ones.
“I want Nate Diaz… you too Canelo.”@jakepaul ????️ #PaulSilva pic.twitter.com/B4oGEcDH0Z
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) October 30, 2022
The Sporting News investigates possible fights for Paul after the Silva fight.
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Will Jake Paul fight Conor McGregor?
Let’s start with the big one, even if it’s not the most likely one.
Former UFC champion McGregor hasn’t been shy about expressing his obsession with boxing. McGregor faced Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in 2017 and lost via TKO. Is a clash with Paul in his future?
Paul would prefer to face McGregor than see a possible rematch between Mayweather and McGregor.
“Me versus Conor McGregor is a much bigger fight,” Paul told The DAZN Boxing Show. “We know that if they fight it’s just a money game. Me vs. Conor is a lot more competitive, there’s a lot more talk, a lot more fun, and it’s what everyone really wants.”
UFC President Dana White pointed out at the UFC 280 post-fight press conference that McGregor needs to be in the USADA testing pool for six months for the “Notorious” to return to the Octagon. McGregor hasn’t been in the testing pool for months. He’s been shooting a movie while exercising while recovering from a broken tibia.
Could this information be further evidence that a McGregor boxing return is close to becoming a reality?
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Will Jake Paul fight Tommy Fury?
Paul and Fury were expected to fight twice in the past year. Fury retired from the fight in December 2021 due to a rib injury. Visa issues for Fury last summer again forced the fight to be cancelled.
At one point, Paul dropped the idea of a Fury fight on the cutting room floor. But does a potential third fight have some life now?
Fury will fight Paul Bamba on the undercard Floyd Mayweather vs. Deji on November 13. If he can win, a fight with Paul might be possible. That says John Fury, Tommy’s father. John Fury has said negotiations may restart depending on the outcome.
“I sat with his people at the Joseph Parker vs Joe Joyce fight and we talked about things,” John Fury told Mirror Fighting. “Everything was very positive. We want this to happen, so we’re going to sit down to sort it out and make sure a deal gets struck this time. The fight is very alive.”
Will Jake Paul fight Nate Diaz?
Diaz ended his UFC contract with a win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279. While his post-UFC future is unknown, the Stockton, California native wouldn’t say no to a boxing match.
Diaz was at the Paul Silva fight to cheer on his teammate Chris Avila who defeated Doctor Mike. He didn’t seem to dismiss a possible fight with Paul when speaking to iD Boxing.
“(Paul) is definitely one of the options,” Diaz said of MMA Fighting ahead of the Paul Silva fight. “He does big things. He does big things. He has a big fight ahead of him. If he wins this, I’m sure people will be impressed. And when Anderson does his thing on him, that’s impressive too. Now we have a fight ahead of us. I look forward to it. (Paul vs. Silva is) 50-50. I dont know. We’ll see what happens.”
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Paul has said in the past that he has beef with Diaz. This was made even clearer when Team Diaz and Team Paul got into a backstage skirmish on fight night.
Drama unfolds backstage between Nate Diaz’s team and Jake Paul’s team ????#PaulSilva
????: @cagesidepress pic.twitter.com/pdy0RNpbMl
— Sports News Boxing (@sn_fights) October 30, 2022
With Diaz now considered a free agent, is this the right time to pick a fight with Paul?
Will Jake Paul fight KSI?
Paul and KSI have been in a war of words since 2018. Jake’s brother Logan ended up fighting KSI twice in a boxing ring. Since those fights, Jake and KSI have fought each other on and off. Now, a clash between the two YouTubers seems closer than ever.
In August, KSI challenged Paul to fight at Wembley Stadium in London next year. The opponent’s wallet would be at stake.
“I’ll send you a contract,” KSI said. “We fight next year. Wembley Stadium. The winner of the fight takes everything. One hundred percent of the wallet will be at stake. Put your money into action and let’s finally finish this. Will you accept?”
Paul agreed to the fight and then made another bet: the loser would have to admit that the winner is the better boxer.
KSI will reportedly return to the ring in January. If he wins, we could be on a collision course for the ultimate YouTube boxing match.