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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Ben Davies

Anderson Silva almost threw a kick at Jake Paul during boxing fight

UFC legend Anderson Silva feinted to throw a kick at YouTube star Jake Paul during their boxing fight last weekend.

Silva made his latest crossover boxing appearance against YouTube star Paul but was outpointed after being dropped in the final round. Before launching his recent stint in the ring, Silva had established his legacy in the UFC where he reigned as a dominant middleweight champion.

During his fight with Paul, Silva had already received a warning from the referee for a potential rule violation as he landed a punch on his opponent after the final bell had sounded. It now appears Silva even risked disqualification during the clash with new footage emerging of the star appearing to raise his leg as if he was about to throw a kick to his rival's head.

Anderson Silva came close to kicking rival Jake Paul (FITE TV)

However he prevented himself from making the shot fully by pulling his leg down to keep it from extending into Paul, who was waiting for a shot with his guard outstretched. If Silva had landed the illegal move, he would likely have been immediately disqualified from the fight which would have seen Paul take the win prior to the final bell.

Paul had already become angered with Silva during the fight shouting a warning at his rival to stop pulling his head down in the fourth round of the action, with the former UFC star clearly open to using his experience to try and unsettle the 25-year-old. Silva had previously agreed to a bet with Paul that if the YouTube star lost, he would have been forced to agree to a rematch under kickboxing rules.

However the 47-year-old came up short after being dropped in the final round, with Paul ousting his latest opponent from a UFC background in a crossover bout. Paul has now fought three fighters from the world of MMA since launching his career following vicrories over Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren.

What did you make of Jake Paul's win over Anderson Silva? Let us know in the comments section below

Paul showed concern that past opponent Askren would use MMA moves in the boxing ring, with his former rival claiming the YouTube star's promoter requested that he sign a contract with a financial penalty if he used a kick. “He said Triller is worried you’re going to use some MMA moves,” he explained during an interview with Fight Hub TV. “I said, okay, and, I’m not but whatever. And he’s said well so, how about you sign a contract that you’ll get fined $100,000 for every time you do an MMA move?

"I said, well I already signed a contract, why would I do that, that sounds stupid. And he’s like, Well, come on it would make Jake feel good, and Triller really wants it." Paul's concerns nearly came into fruition during his later fight with Silva, but the pair instead showed huge respect after the final bell taking on post-fight media duties for a photo.

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