I mean it: Jake Paul will make Anderson Silva look silly when they box Saturday, Oct. 29, in Glendale, Ariz.

…silly for not getting into boxing sooner, that is.

C’mon. I had to.

This Paul vs. Silva showdown is so absurd, it’s actually perfect.

Yes, yes. Silva’s boxed twice already since leaving the UFC in November 2020.

In those contests, he wiped out Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr., and Tito Ortiz, setting up the epic throwdown with Paul.

This one, though, is so much bigger.

Paul commands a massive audience. It hurts, but it’s true.

Actually, you know what? It doesn’t hurt. It’s awesome.

Recently, I sat down with Integrity Fighter Management’s Michael McSorley for a podcast at 247 Studios. Inevitably, our attention turned to Le’Veon Bell boxing Uriah Hall, Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva, and the wild world of these pro boxing showcase fights.

By the end of the talk, we both agreed: It’s pretty damn fun.

Not only that: It’s good for combat sports.

If Paul vs. Silva brings an influx of casual fans to watch, there is a high probability at least some of them will stick around and become hardcore, paying fans.

This is how it works.

McSorley himself shared that he originally got into boxing because of this legendary story (no, seriously watch this and enjoy):

Incredible.

Now, Billy Conn flatlining a would-be robber isn’t identical to a Paul vs. Silva-type fight, but the idea remains the same: A novelty act made McSorley pay attention to the boxing world, then he fell in love from there.

That’s huge for the sport.

With Paul vs. Silva, the side benefit is this: Silva is going to love every second of it.

Remember peak Anderson Silva? I certainly do.

At his best, Silva was unlike any other fighter. He dominated –– and he made opponents look like Day 1 amateurs while doing it.

Against Paul, Silva has the opportunity to recapture some of that magic. The 47-year-old legend is a kid at heart.

I mean, just look at this:

Anderson Silva’s Toy Collection 🕷️ pic.twitter.com/ELs7nnToGb

— Ben Davis (@BenTheBaneDavis) October 24, 2022

He just wants to have fun, man.

Against Paul, win or lose, I guarantee he accomplishes that goal.

Silva went 2-7 over the last nine fights in his UFC career. He tested positive for steroids after one of those wins (against Nick Diaz, who also tested positive for marijuana –– what a joke), so the official record reads 1-7 with one no-contest.

Needless to say, Silva was not having a good time by the end of his run inside the historic UFC Octagon.

In boxing post-UFC, though?

Silva’s 2-0 and he’s about to cash in a mega payday in a fight against a celebrity who is more than willing to have a little fun of his own:

Jake Paul and Anderson Silva agreeing a bet ahead of their fight on Saturday night. If Silva wins, Jake rematches him in kickboxing. If Jake wins, Silva joins him to start an association to help UFC fighters get better pay and healthcare…

[📽️ @ShowtimeBoxing] pic.twitter.com/MRgqPI3OtD

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 27, 2022

When the fight is over and the winner is announced, Silva’s going to have one thought running through his head:

Why wasn’t I doing this years ago?