Logan and Anderson Silva negotiate fight
Logan Paul and Anderson Silva are not boxers by trade, but they could meet in the ring.
The YouTube star and the UFC legend are discussing a boxing match that would take place later this year, Paul’s manager, Jeff Levin, told ESPN on Wednesday.
Paul, 26, competed in a boxing exhibition event with Hall of Fame fighter Floyd Mayweather in June, a Showtime pay-per-view special that was a tremendous commercial success.
The fight, which was an unsanctioned bout with no official winner, went the scheduled eight rounds.
“I’ll be putting on prize fights,” Paul said after the event when asked what was next. “I’m sure there’s a list of opponents on Twitter, people chirping, saying this, saying that. I’ll pick one, I’ll make them embarrass me.”
Paul’s weight limit for that meeting was 190 pounds; Mayweather was 160.
There is no determination whether a fight with Silva, assuming a deal is completed, would be a sanctioned boxing match or a novelty exhibition.
“We’re just not there yet,” Levin said.
Paul has a 0-1 record as a professional fighter, with his loss coming by decision against social media personality KSI in November 2019.Since then, Paul has moved beyond the social media sphere with an appearance at WrestleMania 37 in April, followed by the exhibition with Mayweather.
His younger brother, Jake, has a 3-0 record as a professional fighter and is starting to gain some traction in the boxing world. The 24-year-old scored a first round knockout over former UFC fighter Ben Askren in April. He is set to face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley on Aug. 29 in Cleveland, a local fight for Paul on Showtime PPV.
Silva, a former UFC middleweight champion who holds the longest title reign record in the organization’s history (2,457 days), scored an upset of Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. last month in Guadalajara, Mexico. Chavez, a former middleweight boxing champion, is past his best days, but considering Silva’s age (46) and limited boxing experience (third pro fight), it was an impressive accomplishment.
“I love fighting and boxing is my dream for many, many years,” Silva said after the eight-round split decision victory, a fight contested at 182 pounds. “I need to show my respect for boxing.”
“The Spider” made his professional boxing debut in 1998. More than seven years later, he competed in the boxing ring again, this time scoring a second round KO in 2005. The Brazilian made his UFC debut the following year.
Silva is one of the most recognizable frames in MMA history, with 18 headlining appearances on UFC PPV. He suffered a fourth-round technical knockout loss to Uriah Hall in October, his seventh loss in his last nine octagon outings, and was released by UFC a month later.
