Anderson Silva vs. Jake Paul: Why has Silva's sparring session recently sparked controversy?

Anderson Silva is set to fight Jake Paul in the boxing ring this Saturday in Glendale, Arizona. However, the former UFC middleweight champion recently made headlines after he seemingly misspoke. Silva gave the impression that he was knocked out twice in training just days before the scheduled bout. 'The Spider' has since denied this.

While speaking to MMA Weekly via MMA Fighting, the Brazilian had stated that he was training vigorously and had even been knocked out twice against his sparring partner:

"And the last sparring, he knocked me out two times, and when I finish my training, I talked to my coach and even said, 'Coach, let me tell you something, why the guys knock me out two times?' And the coach said, 'You need to prepare for war, and you prepare for war.'

Watch Anderson Silva speak to MMA Weekly here:

However, Silva later stated that he misspoke during the interview as he often does, English not being his first-language. The former UFC champion claimed that what he meant was "knocked down" and not "knocked out." His coach, Luiz Carlos Dorea, also told MMA Fighting:

"What I can say is that [Silva being knocked out twice] didn’t happen."

Replying to YouTuber KSI on Twitter, 'The Spider' set the record straight and told the influencer to stop spreading 'rumors' ahead of the bout:

---

When did Anderson Silva last compete in the UFC and who did he take on?

Since Anderson Silva walked away from the UFC in 2020, the former middleweight UFC champion has been competing in boxing matches. During his final bout in the UFC, 'The Spider' took on Uriah Hall at UFC Vegas 12 and lost via fourth-round stoppage.

Silva had a poor end to his legendary UFC career, losing seven of his last nine bouts in the organization. It started when he lost his middleweight championship at the hands of Chris Weidman via KO in 2013.

In the Weidman rematch, Silva failed to recapture his title and suffered a devastating leg break. In the ensuing years, a no-contest against Nick Diaz (originally a UD win for Silva, overturned after he tested positive for PEDs) and a bout with Derek Brunson were the only fights he didn't lose.

Since losing to Uriah Hall, Silva hasn't fought in professional MMA and is now scheduled to take on Jake Paul under boxing rules this weekend.

Watch Anderson Silva take on Israel Adesanya here: