Getty There isn't much to choose between Jake Paul and Anderson Silva.
Opinions are close to split on who will win when YouTube sensation Jake Paul takes on UFC legend Anderson Silva in the headline bout of a boxing card taking place in Arizona on Saturday, October 29.
Paul has his fans, those who believe he possesses the power to floor Silva. The latter is 47 but remains a gifted and formidable striker. His experience has more than a few predicting Silva will inflict the first loss on Paul in his crossover fight career.
The fight card (9 p.m. ET start time; Paul vs Silva is fifth on the card) will be available exclusively on PPV, which you can order through Showtime or through Fite TV.
You can buy the PPV through either of the above links, or you can read on for a more complete guide on how to order and watch Paul vs Silva:
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Showtime PPV
Whether or not you have a subscription to Showtime, you can buy the fight straight through the Showtime platforms for $59.99:
Once you’ve purchased the fight through Showtime PPV, you can watch Paul vs Silva live on the Showtime app or Showtime website.
Compatible devices for the Showtime app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Fite TV
You can also buy the PPV through Fite for $59.99:
Once you’ve purchased the fight through FITE TV, you can watch Paul vs Silva live on the FITE app or FITE website.
Compatible devices for the FITE app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Paul vs Silva Preview
Paul is 5-0, although he’s never faced a professional boxer. Despite the lack of credible competition, Paul has proved himself a heavy hitter, having put down decorated UFC welterweight Tyron Woodley twice.
Those knockouts have George Flood of the London Evening Standard believing Paul will win “via another eye-catching stoppage in the middle rounds.” Paul’s power has defined his fights and also led to a knockout victory over one-time Chicago Bulls star Nate Robinson and a TKO at the expense of another former UFC participant, Ben Askren.
Silva won’t be intimidated by Paul’s success against those who previously stepped into the Octagon. ‘The Spider’ will arrive at the Desert Diamond Arena with his own proven track record for putting opponents down for the count.
A 34-11-0 record in the UFC included Silva scoring 20 wins by knockout, but his last clean KO came at the expense of Chael Sonnen in 2012. That hasn’t stopped CBS Sports’ Shakiel Mahjouri from picking Silva to have his hand raised in Glendale.
Mahjouri offered two compelling reasons for believing in Silva. The first concerns Paul’s limitations between the ropes: “Paul is very much a novice boxer and relies heavily on his jab as a set-up for crosses and hooks. Paul certainly has power, but such basic strategies will be exploited by Silva’s superior head movement, footwork, angles and feints.”
Another reason Silva has the edge is stamina, with Mahjouri noting how the ‘Spider’ stood his ground for “24 minutes of boxing” against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Silva’s superior range of movement and hand speed are still there and remain problems Paul will struggle to solve.
Anderson Silva is taunting Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in the ring 😶
(via @FiteTV)
Experience and skills are why UFC great Tito Ortiz told Paddy Pimblett’s Chattin’ Pony Podcast: “I don’t think Jake Paul’s going to make it out of three rounds.” Ortiz’s confidence in Silva isn’t share by an equally legendary figure from the Boxing world.
Oscar De La Hoya is tipping Paul, telling Inside Fighting “he connects Silva, he’s knocking him out.” De La Hoya’s is quite the endorsement for Paul, who needs a decisive victory over a name like Silva to add credibility to his status as a fighter.
It’s why Paul would have been nervous about reports the fight was in jeopardy amid rumors Silva had been knocked out twice during a recent sparring sensation. The Brazilian sought to clarify things with a statement reported by TMZ Sports: “I was NEVER knocked out in sparring. I misspoke in that interview as I sometimes do when interviewing in English and exaggerated the normal back-and-forth action that occurs in sparring.”
The fight is on and promises to offer the classic clash of styles between Silva’s technique and Paul’s one-shot thunder. If Silva’s energy doesn’t fail him, it’s hard to see a fighter of his standing being felled by somebody as raw as Paul.