Anderson Silva has reaffirmed his commitment to honoring his word by joining forces with Jake Paul to establish an association for MMA fighters.
"The Spider" accepted Paul's challenge prior to their boxing match in 2022. As per the agreement, Silva, the former UFC middleweight champion, would assist the YouTuber-turned-boxer in creating an association aimed at improving fighters' compensation and healthcare benefits.
Although there hasn't been much public progress on this initiative over the past eight months, Silva revealed during this week's episode of the MMA Fighting podcast Trocação Franca that he is actively working on the project alongside his former opponent, Jake Paul.
“It’s moving, it’s all in motion,” Silva said. “Jake is a very correct person, so it’s happening. To make sure it’s done the correct way and it’s enduring, it stays for future generations, it has to be well-planned and structured, and we’re working on it.”
ilva, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport, is set to be officially inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this July in Las Vegas. The Brazilian superstar is currently immersed in two movie projects in the United States, but has expressed his intentions to return to fighting in the future.
Although Silva retired from MMA following his loss to Uriah Hall in October 2020, he revealed in an interview with Trocação Franca that he is in discussions with a Japanese promotion for a farewell bout in Japan, indicating his desire to compete once more.
Moreover, Silva expressed interest in potentially facing Jake Paul again or even stepping into the ring with Nate Diaz once he wraps up his commitments in the film industry. Fans can look forward to Silva's upcoming movie, "Murder City," which is slated for release on Tubi on July 30.
“Maybe we can fight the winner or whoever accepts the challenge to fight me,” Silva said. “Let’s see if that works.”
Paul will welcome Diaz to boxing after the Stockton superstar completed his UFC deal in 2022 with a submission victory over Tony Ferguson, and Silva foresees a close contest.
“They are both very tough,” Silva said. “Nate, we don’t even need to talk about him, right? [But] he has a big, big challenge ahead of him, which is fighting Jake. Jake has been working really hard and dedicating, even though some people think he’s just a YouTuber. No, he’s training. He trains with tough guys, has good coaches, and he’s showing he deserves respect. Let’s see what happens.”