Getty Image / Jeff Bottari
It just wouldn’t be a Jake Paul fight if there wasn’t a bit of drama before he even stepped into the ring.
The last time Paul tried to get into the ring, Tommy Fury ended up pulling out of the fight. He was replaced by Hasim Rahman Jr. Rahman Jr ended up pulling out of the fight over a weight issue after it was too late for him to be replaced.
Now he’s gotten himself another date for a fight and a much higher profile opponent. Paul will be stepping into the ring with former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva. Unfortunately, there was a moment there where it seemed like the fight might not happen.
An interview recently surfaced where Anderson Silva mentioned being knocked out twice by sparring partners during his training camp. That comment got the attention of the Arizona commission.
Last night, they met to discuss whether or not Silva should still be able to take this fight. Luckily, the commission decided to clear him.
Arizona Commission clears Anderson Silva to fight Jake Paul
Anderson Silva has been cleared by the athletic commission to fight Jake Paul … after inadvertently saying he'd been "knocked out" twice during a recent training session. https://t.co/a9FbXffBr6
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) October 28, 2022
This really should have never even required a meeting for the commission. Anderson Silva potentially having been knocked out in training camp was far from the biggest issue with Saturday night’s card.
In the fight just before Paul and Silva square off, retired NFL running back Le’Veon Bell will be taking on Uriah Hall, who built a successful UFC career based on his ability to knock opponents out. That seems like way more of an issue than a seasoned combat sports veteran saying that he was knocked out in training.
At least it didn’t end up causing the fight to get cancelled and fans will still get to enjoy watching Silva take on Paul on Saturday night.