Jake Paul moving down in weight to secure big fights with the likes of Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz ahead of return
JAKE PAUL is moving down in weight to start a path to the light-heavyweight division and future super-fights.
The YouTuber-turned prizefighter has so far campaigned around 190lb in his 5-0 career.
But his return bout against Anderson Silva on October 29 in Arizona will be at a 187lb catchweight.
Paul has plans to transition into the 175lb light-heavyweight division, where he previously revealed lofty plans of winning a world title.
Meanwhile Conor McGregor, 34, and Nate Diaz, 37, have both fought at 170lb in their UFC careers.
Paul, 25, told Showtime: “I’m just starting to go down in weight in my boxing career.
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“I’ll probably end up at light-heavyweight, at 175. And that’s where I should be.
“I hadn’t really cut that much weight for my other fights, so I’m just getting to a lighter weight where I’m gonna feel at my best.
“And taking on different competition at that weight class. As soon as I said I was going down to 185, that’s when Tommy Fury said, ‘Oh, I’ll fight you now’.
“I think he was scared to fight me at a little bit of a heavier of weight, so I’ll be able to get different level of competition.
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“Nate Diaz is down a in a lower weight class, Conor McGregor is in a lower weight class. So it just makes sense for me to come down.”
Paul beat online rival “AnEsonGib”, 26, and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, 38, in his first two professional bouts in 2020.
And a year later, he beat ex-UFC pair Ben Askren, 38, and Tyron Woodley, 40, knocking out the former UFC champion in their rematch.
But following pullouts from Tommy Fury, 23, and Hasim Rahman Jr, 31, he was still left without facing a recognised boxer.
UFC icon Silva, 47, will go some way to changing that, having had four wins and only one loss in the ring.