BREAKING: Jake Paul to fight UFC legend Anderson Silva in October

Jake Paul is set to take on UFC legend Anderson Silva in his next fight next month.

MMA journalist Ariel Helwani is reporting that the YouTuber-turned-boxer will be back inside the squared circle on October 29 at Gila River Arena in Phoenix, Arizona.

Paul's recent scheduled fights with Tommy Fury and Hasim Rahman Jr have fallen through and he will now face Silva, the longest-reigning champion in UFC history, in a eight-round contest at 187lbs.

As is the case with Paul's fights, it will be broadcasted globally on Showtime pay-per-view. Paul is 5-0 in professional boxing and beat former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley twice last year, including recording a devastating knockout victory in December.

In the same year he also made quick work of another mixed martial artist in Ben Askren, who was dispatched in the first round.

But Silva, one of the greatest ever to step into the Octagon and a man who won a 16 fights in a row, has experience in between the ropes.

'The Spider' is 4-1 in boxing and has picked up wins over both Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and Tito Ortiz since leaving UFC in November 2020.

The 47-year-old brutally knocked out Ortiz in the first round of their bout in September last year and this fight with Paul is one that UFC president Dana White gave his approval of a few months back.