Anderson Silva says Jake Paul fight is “possible” as YouTuber preps for boxing return

Former UFC king Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva says a fight with Jake Paul is “possible” and believes the YouTuber should be shown more respect for his impact on boxing. 

After going on a brief hiatus from in-ring action, instead opting to focus on fighters under his Most Valuable Promotions brand, Jake Paul is stepping back in between the ropes on August 12.

To this point, the YouTuber-turned-boxer doesn’t have an opponent, but plenty of names have been suggested – ranging from Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather to KSI, and even his old foe Tommy Fury.

Former UFC champion Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva has also been one that some pundits and fans have suggested be Jake’s next opponent after the social media star changed his stance and said he’d be open to taking the fight.

The Brazillian MMA star, who has already beaten Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Tito Ortiz inside the boxing ring, is back in the ring on the undercard of the Floyd Mayweather vs Don Moore bout.

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With his calendar opening up a bit after that, Anderson was quizzed by Sports Illustrated about whether or not he’d be open to taking on Jake at some point down the road. “It’s possible,” he told SI before complimenting Jake and his brother Logan.

“People need to respect the Paul brothers. Those kids are talented, and they’ve opened people’s eyes about the good and bad in combat sports. I’m preparing my body for a challenge. We’ll see what happens.”

As noted, Jake hasn’t yet announced the opponent for his return fight, but if Anderson is in fighting shape and open to it, then who knows.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer has stated he wants to fight a ‘real’ boxer before long, and while Anderson isn’t quite that, he has beaten former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, so he’s certainly no slouch.