No, Jake Paul isn't fighting a boxer for once, but for the first time ever, he is fighting someone with legit striking skills in Anderson "Spider" Silva, arguably the G.O.A.T. of mixed martial arts. Ahead of the October 29 boxing match in Phoenix, Arizona, we're previewing the fight ahead before offering our betting pick on the Paul-Silva winner. Read on if you want to make money before Halloween!
Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva Fight Preview
Taking a peek at the current betting odds is a perfect way to preview the Paul vs. Silva showdown. As it stands, Paul is the slight betting favorite. Here's where the odds stand at the top-used betting sites for boxing:
We should mention that the betting lines have been in flux since the fight was announced. Paul opened as the favorite, however, Silva quickly overtook him. Silva remained the betting frontrunner for a week or two, but Paul has re-seized control recently. Why? Welp, no one knows for sure, but one can guess there was sharp action on Paul from the pros. That's our hunch at least, but is Paul warranted as the favorite?
Well, yes and no. Yes, because unlike Silva, "The Problem Child" is actually a trained boxer — albeit only for a few years. Since starting his pro career in 2020, Paul has accumulated a 5-0 mark with 4 KOs, including two against other MMA greats in Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley. Silva is 3-1 as a pro boxer with fights dating as far back as 1998 but has barely gotten serious about the sport starting in 2021. So Paul should be more experienced inside a boxing ring than Spider.
However, that's not to say Silva can't throw hands. During his UFC days, which included holding the middleweight belt for 2,457 days straight at one point, Silva was lethal with his fists and standing up in general. Spider's punching pedigree blows any of Paul's previous opponents out of the water by a long shot.
The prevailing question — and possibly what decides the fight — is how much Silva still has left in the tank athletically and physically? He is 47, almost double the age of Paul, 25. That's not a small difference. Sure, prime Silva was a killer with his striking, but the Silva of today? The one that's probably 10 years past his prime? Well, we're about to find out if Silva can still hang.
Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva Fight Prediction
Remember earlier how we said Paul has never fought a striker before? Well, that's a fact and one that can't go unnoticed. Outside of Silva's age, that might be the next biggest X-factor that influences our Paul vs. Anderson fight prediction. Allow us to explain.
In Paul's previous boxing matches, he was always the fight's aggressor. Aggressor for a number of reasons. One, his opponents couldn't throw punches to save their lives (case in point: Askren). But two, Paul has always towered over his foes. That advantage is no more in this one too. Silva's 6-foot-2 frame gives him a two-inch advantage over Paul. Not only is that a new problem for Paul, but so is Silva's southpaw stance. Paul has never faced somebody that's a non-orthodox puncher.
How Paul handles the challenge needs to be considered. Even at 47 years of age (almost half a century), Silva is not going to sit back like Paul's previous foes. If anything, Silva will take it to the younger fighter. We can confidently say that based on Silva's previous boxing efforts versus Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., an ex-world champion in the sport. Silva, despite being new to the sport, won via split decision — and honestly, it wasn't that close.
Silva's output against Chavez included 392 punches thrown, 99 of which landed. For comparison's sake, Woodley's output in the first Paul match was 52-of-163. So in essence, Silva is going to bring three times the amount of volume that Paul has EVER faced. Two outcomes can come out of that high output: either Silva outpoints Paul or on the flip side, he leaves himself open to Paul's signature right hook, which has knocked down every opponent he's ever faced.
We're betting the second outcome is more likely, so yes, our pick is that Paul beats Silva by knockout. We've said it before, but we'll say it again: MMA striking just doesn't compare to boxing. It's two completely-different sports in that regard. Because they have to defend leg kicks, MMA fighters ALWAYS have a low guard. That's a massive no-no in boxing, especially against a fighter with Paul's power. Expect Silva to end up on Paul's highlight reel come fight night.
How To Bet Anderson Silva Vs. Jake Paul Fight?
There's no better place to get your bets in on Silva vs. Paul than one of the listed bookmakers below. Any one of them will have up-to-date lines on the fight, plus props once the match nears closer. While you're at these sites, make sure to leverage one of the big-money sportsbook bonuses they offer. You could earn hundreds to thousands of dollars in free play off of these bonuses — all from using a supported deposit method to fund your account. That's literally it, and your Paul-Silva bets could be "on the house." See the table below to get started!
