"Jake Paul is a free agent" - Ariel Helwani says Paul's Showtime deal is done

Combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani revealed that Jake Paul's deal with Showtime Sports has come to an end.

Helwani discussed the possibility of a Paul vs. Anderson Silva during an episode of The MMA Hour with colleagues 'GC' and 'NewYorkRic.' During their conversation, Helwani casually slipped in the fact that the YouTuber is currently a free agent after his two-fight contract with Showtime had expired.

"By the way, a not really talked about thing, the fact that Jake Paul is a free agent right now, TV-wise," Helwani said. "He had a two-fight deal with Showtime. I mean, that doesn't really affect the viewer at home, but I'm kind of interested to see where that story goes."

Check out Ariel Helwani's comments below:

Paul, of course, inked a contract with the broadcasting company in May 2021. The deal ended after back-to-back fights with former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.

It's still unclear whether Paul will re-sign with Showtime or look for a new network to air his fights. He had previously been associated with Triller Fight Club.

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Ariel Helwani weighs in on potential Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva bout

Paul recently sparked a conversation about a potential fight between himself and Silva after the latter's latest win against Bruno Machado. 'The Problem Child' took to Twitter to post a badly-edited meme in an apparent shot at the former UFC champion.

However, Ariel Helwani isn't convinced Silva is the most logical next opponent for the YouTube star. On the same episode of The MMA Hour, Helwani said:

"I saw a lot of talk [about], 'Jake Paul has to fight Anderson. That's the fight.' You know what? I disagree. Why does this have to be the fight? Here's the thing, I'm down if it's the fight. But why does it have to be the fight? Why do a 47-year-old vs. a 25-year-old, how come that's the fight?"

Helwani also argued that a Tommy Fury fight could be a more viable option for Paul. As far as the reporter is concerned, Paul's history with Fury, along with the inevitable involvement of Tyson Fury, would make for a more compelling matchup.