Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has claimed that Jake Paul will defeat UFC Hall of Fame inductee Anderson Silva when the pair face off in the ring.
The bout marks the first time that Paul has faced off against an opponent with professional boxing experience but despite their spats in the past, Hearn backed Paul to pick up the sixth win of his burgeoning career as a pugilist.
Speaking on The MMA Hour, Hearn admitted that while doesn’t know much about Silva’s background, that Paul’s youth and athleticism will lead him to success on October 29.
Eddie Hearn has claimed that Jake Paul(left) will defeat Anderson Silva in October
The Matchroom Boxing promoter said that Paul’s youth and power will prove to be the deciding factors in the fight
‘I don’t know enough about Anderson Silva but he can box a bit by the sound of things,’ Hearn said.
‘To defeat Anderson Silva, while boxing is still a very impressive part of his repertoire, he’s still not a boxer, and he’s 47 years of age. But he’s a tough guy, he has a huge profile, he can box, and I think he’ll be competitive.
‘I don’t think he beats Jake, because I think Jake is young, and I think he can punch a bit, and I’m intrigued to watch, and I like what Jake’s doing. It’s kind of him against the world.’
Hearn also praised Paul for his attempts to take on a professional boxer in an effort to legitimise himself
The Matchroom boxing promoter further hailed Paul’s attempts to legitimise himself as a fighter through his willingness to take on professional boxers.
‘I just think that Jake’s been a bit unlucky, because he was trying to fight Tommy Fury, he was trying to fight Hasim Rahman Jr., and that would have actually given him the ability to say, ‘Actually, you have to respect me now as a boxer.’
Hearn hasn’t always been quite so complimentary to the social media star turned budding boxer, however.
In May Hearn branded Paul as an ‘average’ fighter, and even insisted that doing so was ‘very complimentary’ to his skills.
The fight with Silva marks the first time Paul has faced an opponent with a professional boxing win
Silva enjoyed an illustrious career in the UFC, becoming the promotion’s longest-reigning middleweight champion and winning 16 consecutive fights between 2006 and 2012.
Throughout his career the Brazilian has also dabbled in boxing, amassing a 3-1 record since debuting in 1998.
Silva’s greatest triumph inside the squared circle came last year, when he defeated former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr via points in Mexico.