Jake Paul’s long-awaited return to boxing might be canceled as the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission meets to determine if Ander Silva can fight after the Brazilian claimed he was KO’d twice in practice.
After two straight fights being canceled for Jake Paul, The Problem Child might be cursed. According to a new report by ESPN, Anderson Silva may not be allowed to compete.
News broke this week that UFC legend Anderson Silva was knocked out twice while sparring ahead of his bout this Saturday against Jake Paul. While Silva has walked back these claims, saying he misspoke, it’s drawn the attention of combat sports authorities.
ESPN Combat Sports reporter Marc Raimondi says that the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission will meet at some point tonight to determine if Silva will be eligible to compete.
BREAKING: Anderson Silva's ability to compete in Saturday's main event boxing match against Jake Paul is under review by the Arizona Boxing and MMA Commission. (via @marcraimondi) pic.twitter.com/93bskblU2h
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 27, 2022
An Arizona public information officer has said, however, that the Commission will “review additional documentation submitted” by Silva during its proceedings.
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest updates on Esports, Gaming and more.
Silva claimed that he misspoke in the interview because English isn’t his first language and was “joking” about being knocked out twice anyway.
If The Spider is unable to compete, this will be the third straight opponent set to battle Jake Paul that has been unable to. Previously, Tommy Fury backed out following Visa issues and earlier this year, weight issues resulted in his bout against Hasim Rahman Jr being pulled.
Silva has said this week that he misspoke in the interview because English is not his native language and he was only joking about it anyway. The interview was also from last month and only released earlier this week.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) October 27, 2022
Jake Paul says both cancelations cost him millions and his match against Silva could as well, considering ticket presales had already sold more than the UFC’s last event at the same arena.
Only time will tell if the fight can go ahead or if Jake will be forced to reschedule yet another boxing match as he looks toward a rumored 2023 fight against rival KSI.