Jake Paul has revealed to reporters that he won’t over-celebrate a knock-out victory over Anderson Silva. The Problem Child intends to help Silva off the canvas if he stops him and claims there is a massive amount of respect between the pair.
Paul has become famous for his trash-talk in the lead-up to fights, but his October 29 clash with former UFC middleweight champion, Silva, is very different. Both men have spoken highly of each other in interviews and even recreated a childhood photo of Jake and his brother Logan from when they first met Silva as kids during a recent press event.
“I grew idolising this guy, for me this is even surreal that I’m like sitting here,” said Paul at the launch press conference. “I have to take a moment to be like ‘wait a second, is this real? All the cameras’. I was sitting on a couch watching this guy as a kid and here we are, I love the challenge this is my toughest fight yet and I’m prepared.
He added: “Anderson Silva is the nicest guy in the world, and we love him. If my opponent is d***head I’m going to treat them like a d***head and beat his f***ing ass and I think people have seen that side of me. But I respect this man, I’m still gonna knock him out but respectfully knock him out.”
“I know I’m going to win so I’m not going to be a f***ing d***head and jumping up on the ropes and s*** after I win, it’s not like that. For me, that’s not what the fight’s about it’s about respect for the first time and hopefully, when I knock him out, I can help him get off the canvas.”
Paul will make his return to the ring for the first time in nearly a year when he faces The Spider after a frustrating 2022. The ex-Disney actor had his August 6 date with Tommy Fury cancelled due to the Brit being denied entry to the United States before terminating his bout agreement with short-notice replacement Hasim Rahman Jr who failed to make weight for their proposed contest.