Former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell feels like Jake Paul has finally bitten off more than he can chew with Anderson Silva. Paul is set to face Silva in the boxing ring at the end of this month, and Chuck Liddell confidently expects to see a knockout victory for “The Spider”. Liddell explained his prediction in a recent interview with Fight Hub TV.
“I think it’s a dangerous fight for [Jake Paul]. I mean, he’s got nothing to lose. He’s fighting Anderson Silva. He’s got nothing to lose, but that’s dangerous. Anderson is still powerful, he’s still sharp, and he’s a striker. Jake had some good luck with guys that were wrestlers that tried to strike.
Chuck Liddell Predicts Anderson Silva KO Win Over Jake Paul
One thing is to have OK striking for MMA, but that’s because you have to worry about them taking you down. When you don’t have to worry about getting taken down, then it’s hard to land those big bombs. But Anderson, he’s a striker and has been concentrating on boxing. He looked great in his last couple of fights.”
Anderson Silva’s twilight years in the UFC may have looked lackluster compared to his glorious heyday, but Silva’s switch to boxing has looked phenomenal. Silva is 2-0 in his last two fights, earning himself a knockout victory against Tito Ortiz inside a single round in his last boxing appearance.
Jake Paul, too, has an impressive boxing record. Paul is 5-0 as a pro boxer, most recently dispatching former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley via knockout. Paul has struggled to lock in an opponent since that fight, however, with scheduled bouts against Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman, Jr both falling through.
Anderson Silva is typical of the type of opponent Jake Paul prefers to face: a retiree from the UFC whose best years were spent fighting at a weight significantly lighter than Paul’s. However, Silva is by far the best striker Paul has faced so far. In his day, Anderson Silva was one of the most lethal strikers in MMA, and is still widely considered one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
Chuck Liddell expects a knockout win for his fellow UFC veteran, but expressed his respect for Jake Paul nonetheless.
“I think he wins, I think he knocks him out. But hey, man, I’m interested to see it. Good luck to Jake. The kid is fighting. He goes out there and really fights. You have to respect that.”
Do you agree with Chuck Liddell’s prediction? Let us know in the comments.
