Jake Paul loves to bet his opponents prior a fight, and he finally came up with an idea to entice Anderson Silva into a wager.
Just 48 hours away from their boxing match, Paul made Silva an offer the UFC legend apparently couldn’t refuse with both fighters shaking hands on the deal during the pre-fight press conference.
“I have a bet for you Anderson – it’s a good one,” Paul said. “If you win, I’ll give you something you probably want.
“If you win, I will fight you in an MMA fight — OK, kickboxing — but if I win, me and you come together to create a united fighters’ association to help UFC fighters get better pay and better healthcare. You become the interim president and we unite to help these fighters once and for all.”
Silva balked at the suggestion of an MMA contest, adding “you’re so smart because I don’t fight MMA anymore,” but he accepted the terms for a kickboxing match instead.
As far as the wager to help Paul start what would effectively become a fighters’ union, he was more than happy to accept.
“Deal,” Silva said. “Not UFC fighters’ association, but MMA association to help all MMA fighters. Yeah, deal.”
Over the past few years, Paul has spoken out numerous times about his desire to start a fighters’ union to give MMA athletes more control over contracts and the power to earn better overall rights comparable to players’ associations like those in the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball.
While there have been attempts to start an MMA fighters’ association previously, the efforts have unanimously come up short.
Paul has been adamant about his desire to help MMA fighters battle for better pay and healthcare while often times engaging in a war of words with UFC President Dana White on the subject.
Now, the 25-year-old social influencer turned boxer is ready to put his money where his mouth is, especially if he can get Silva on board to help turn his fantasy project into a reality.
”All fighters to help them get increased fighter pay and long term healthcare,” Paul said. “We need all the help we can get.
“Guys like Francis [Ngannou], Israel [Adesanya], even Andre Ward has spoken about this in the boxing world. [Georges St-Pierre] has tried to make this happen before. So we need all the help we can get, and I think Anderson is a great start.”
