Jake Paul maintained his undefeated boxing record Saturday night with a win over ex-MMA star Anderson Silva by unanimous decision in the main event at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz.
Facing off in a 187-pound bout that produced a flurry of action down the stretch, Paul (6–0, 4 KOs) outscored Silva (3-2, 2 KOs), 77-74, 78-73, 78-73, after the fighters went the distance over eight rounds.
The 25-year-old Paul, competing in his first fight since December, gained a decisive edge in the final round of the back-and-forth affair after he sent Silva, 47, to the canvas with a staggering right across the jaw. The largely pro-Silva crowd erupted immediately after the knockdown before the UFC legend stood to his feet at the count of six and finished the fight.
Saturday’s bout marked just the sixth professional fight of Paul’s career, and the fifth for Silva since he returned to boxing in 2021 after his UFC contract expired in Nov. 2020. The former UFC middleweight champion earned wins over fellow former MMA star Tito Ortiz last Sept. and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last June, with his previous boxing matches taking place in 1998 and 2005.
As for Paul, the victory represents his biggest success in the squared circle to-date, and an impressive follow-up to his sixth-round knockout win over Tyron Woodley 10 months ago. The brash ex-Youtube star has continued to prove his doubters wrong since taking up boxing back in late 2019, and will more than likely have plenty to say in the months ahead after defeating an all-time great.
It’ll also be interesting to see how the fighters’ pre-fight bet comes to fruition following Paul’s win. Paul announced Thursday the fighters would start an MMA fighter union if he won or compete in a kickboxing rematch if Silva won.
Other notable finishes on Saturday’s card include a pair of unanimous decision victories for former MMA fighter Uriah Hall in a win over retired NFL star-turned-boxer Le’Veon Bell, and MMA veteran Chris Avila over Youtube star “Dr. Mike” Varshavski.
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