By: Ronan McEvoy
Jake Paul defeated former UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva via unanimous decision in their boxing match on Oct. 29. Paul looked impressive in this fight as he was able to avoid Silva’s hard shots and even knocked Silva down in the eighth round. This win has numerous contenders hoping to get a shot at Paul, but which fight makes the most sense?
Paul isn’t looking to fight just anybody; he wants to fight opponents who have clout and are able to bring as many eyes to the fight as possible.
The biggest contender right now is the newly released Nate Diaz. Diaz made it known to the media that he was planning to box after leaving the company. Diaz and Paul have gone back and forth with each other on social media for months now, and Diaz and his team got into a backstage altercation with Paul’s team before Paul fought Silva. With Diaz being a free agent, this fight seems to be the one to make.
Does Diaz have what it takes to defeat Paul? I don’t think so. Diaz is solid on the feet when it comes to MMA, but whenever he is hurt or rocked, he likes to take his opponents to the ground and submit them. Diaz has gotten the nickname “a punching bag with eyes” as Diaz will remain in your face even when you land your hardest shots.
Diaz is a known cardio freak and during his fights he normally doesn’t win the early rounds as he tends to apply the pressure with his strikes in the later rounds when his opponents are gassed. This strategy won’t work against someone like Paul. Paul was able to go the distance with Silva and not tire himself out even with Silva’s incredible head movement. Paul also has that knockout power, and with Diaz’s chin being tested for so long, it may not hold up against Paul’s power.
Another potential opponent is YouTuber, rapper, and boxer KSI. These two have had a massive hatred for each other ever since KSI fought Logan Paul, Jake’s brother, back in 2018. The fight seemed like it was going to be booked in 2020 but was never made due to covid. Since 2020, Jake has had five fights while KSI has only had two.
KSI fought two opponents in one night back in August and won both by knockout. KSI seems down to fight Paul, but maybe not so soon. Paul has had more time in the ring, while KSI focused on his rap career for two years. It may take another fight or two before KSI may feel completely ready to get in the ring against Paul.
While this fight already has a backstory to it, this fight has extra fuel added to the fire due to Paul’s brother. Logan Paul and KSI have a rehydration drink company together called PRIME. Logan has tried to stay out of this conversation with the two, but Jake keeps making comments towards Logan about his friendship with Jake’s future opponent.
This fight with KSI makes more sense but I don’t think we’ll see this fight soon. However, when this fight does happen, it will take control of the media world.