In his sixth professional fight, Jake Paul did his utmost to ensure that the younger generation was given an opportunity to shine, especially when facing off against MMA icon Anderson Silva. It is a common practice in combat sports, particularly in Glendale, Arizona, for experienced fighters to be pitted against up-and-coming talents.

Silva, the ex-UFC middleweight titleholder, faced off against the 47-year-old Paul and secured a definitive victory in the main event of a Showtime PPV card at Desert Diamond Arena. With scores of 77-74 and 78-73 (twice) in the final round, Silva solidified his unanimous decision after eight rounds. Meanwhile, Paul (6-0, 4 KOs), a 25-year-old boxer who gained fame as a social media influencer, made a comeback by scoring a knockdown.

Paul expressed, “Diligence leads to success. It’s an extraordinary occurrence.” “I would like to express my gratitude to Anderson. He was my role model during my formative years and he motivated me to strive for greatness. Without him, we wouldn’t have a competition this year. He’s an incredibly resilient individual, truly. I hold him in high regard.”

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Many critics of Chavez Jr. Have said that the fight with Silva in 2021, which fueled together a sudden upset, would never happen. Chavez Jr. Is a former titleholder in the middleweight division and has a record of 3-2 (2 KOs) in boxing matches. He had two fights scheduled against Rahman Hasim and Tommy Fury in 2021, but both fell apart due to close calls. Paul has long been criticized for his surprising turn to pugilism, as he is not seen as a real boxer.

Silva, a native of Brazil, had to primarily engage in selective combat because of his advanced age. However, Paul’s size and youth ultimately prevailed, even though Silva managed to potentially secure a few closely contested rounds by launching powerful shots and relentlessly pressuring Paul in the last 30 seconds. Silva remained determined and competitive throughout the match.

“I express my gratitude to all those who have come. Occasionally, you emerge victorious, while at other times, you experience defeat; nevertheless, I persistently dedicate myself to rigorous training because I believe it is my destiny,” Silva stated. “I exerted immense effort to deliver an extraordinary performance for each and every individual present in this gathering.”

As per CompuBox statistics, Paul landed more punches than Silva, with a total of 83 compared to Silva’s 79. In terms of power shots, he successfully connected with 42 percent of them, with a notable advantage of 30 to 13 shots to the body. Additionally, in Round 8, Paul managed to knock down Silva by countering with a right hand.

After the fight with the Brazilian legend, Paul hugged Silva and assured him, “Believe me, no one can speak ill of you. No one can speak ill of you.”

In their second encounter in late 2021, a decisive knockout of former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, Paul exhibited genuine progress from his previous display, mainly a more mature one.

Paul persevered in demonstrating the transformative power of time and commitment, exerting significant influence over the latter part of the bout by executing three-punch sequences that commenced with body shots and culminated with well-placed right crosses to the head.

Paul said, “Don’t let anyone know that you can’t do something. If you work your ass off every single day, you can accomplish your dreams. I am so obsessed with this and I go hard. It’s not too late to chase your dreams, even if you are 47. Just show them that you don’t worry about this shit, but there will always be haters. If I said I can’t swim, people would think I was walking on water.”

“[Silva] took numerous challenging blows throughout the entire bout. The individual displayed remarkable resilience. He proved to be the most tenacious competitor, but I possessed a stronger desire to win.”

The Pay-Per-View (PPV) event began with a win by Chris Avila, a colleague of Diaz. Shortly after, individuals from Paul and Diaz’s group got involved in a confrontation behind the scenes. The Diaz match is more authentic and groundwork has already been laid. Paul shifted his focus to challenging Nate Diaz, who is expected to become an unrestricted agent once his UFC contract ends, as well as boxing sensation Canelo Alvarez, following his victory.

“Paul expressed his challenge to Nate Diaz, urging him to engage in a fight. In an attempt to provoke Nate Diaz, Paul advised him not to act cowardly. Paul recounted the incident when Nate Diaz attempted to confront him in his locker room but ultimately left the arena. Paul derogatorily referred to Nate Diaz as a coward.”

“Any person, at any time, in any location. Any person! Anytime! Any location!”

Make sure to follow along with the highlights and results live on CBS Sports throughout the entire way on Saturday.

Paul vs. Silva scorecard, real-time coverage

Paul achieved a combined score of 76, comprising of scores of 10, 9, 10, 9, 9, 9, 10, and 10. Meanwhile, Silva’s overall score amounts to 75, with individual scores of 9, 10, 9, 10, 10, 10, 9, and 8.