After losing a unanimous decision to Jake Paul in
their boxing match on Saturday night, Anderson
Silva took the high road and allowed the social media
personality to have his time in the spotlight.
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“I think it’s very important that people respect the moment, Jake’s
moment now,” Silva said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference.
“I know I lost, I know I failed my whole strategy, and my opponent
won, and I need to respect that. I’m not the same, like other guys
who fought Jake – ‘Oh, I need revenge, I need a rematch.’ I don’t
know. Let’s go see what happens. Maybe, I don’t know.”
Silva had his moments throughout the eight-round bout, applying
pressure on Paul at times while utlizing his trademark footmark and
movement. The defining moment of the fight belonged to Paul, when
he dropped the former UFC middleweight champion in the final
stanza.
“I failed in the strategy, and the last round, Jake [made] the good
punch, and my base was not correct,” Silva told reporters at the
post-fight press conference. “And that’s when I took the punch, but
I didn’t feel knocked out. I don’t feel power, but I wasn’t in good
balance, and that’s when I took the punch.
“I fell two times, and I just talked to my coach: ‘I don’t believe
it. I trained hard to not do the same stupid position.’ But I’m
human. I’m a superhero, but sometimes, my half-human fails.”
Silva was viewed by many as the most difficult test of Paul’s
boxing career to date. The 25-year-old Paul’s resume prior to “The
Spider” included wins over former UFC welterweight champ Tyron
Woodley (twice) and ex-Bellator title holder Ben Askren.
In the aftermath of his biggest win to date, Paul took the
opportunity to send a message to UFC president Dana White, who has
been a frequent target of his barbs.
“Bro, you said I wouldn’t do this, and I did it – with flying
colors,” Paul said to White at the press conference. “But, you
know, he’s in hiding. He’s trying to do everything he can to stop
my run, to sabotage my fights. He hates me. He hates what I’m
doing. He hates (that) I’m exposing his business, and now we’re
gonna band together and create a united fighters’ association to
help UFC fighters, all MMA fighters and boxers to get more fighter
pay, long-term health care … So, man, Dana White can suck this
d—k.”
While White might not be ready to acknowledge what Paul has
accomplished, Silva had no trouble doing so in the aftermath of
defeat.
“Jake was better than me today,” Silva said. “I tried to put on my
strategy. … I don’t find my distance, and I failed in my strategy,
and Jake better than me. That’s it.”