What did Anderson Silva say about being knocked out in training ahead of his Jake Paul fight?

Anderson Silva has stated that he was knocked out twice ahead of his return against Jake Paul.

'The Spider' is set to return this Saturday night against 'The Problem Child'. On Showtime pay-per-view, the former UFC champion will look to move to 3-0 in the boxing ring after leaving the MMA promotion. He previously scored victories over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz.

Heading into fight week, fans figured that the 47-year-old would be the biggest test of the YouTuber's career to date. In addition to Silva having boxing experience, he's also around Paul's size, something that his previous opponents have lacked.

However, fans have given a little bit of pause to the fight after a recent interview with Anderson Silva. In an interview with MMA Weekly, the former UFC middleweight champion stated that he was knocked out twice in sparring.

During the interview, he stated:

“I’m training hard for win — I’m training with the good boxers, high-level, and five guys come to help me. And the last sparring with [my sparring partner], he is knocked me out two time.”

Watch his comments below:

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Anderson Silva clarifies his comments about being knocked out

Luckily, Anderson Silva clarified his comments about being knocked out before facing Jake Paul.

When the interview was released, many fans were justifiably scared for 'The Spider'. It would be an issue for any fighter to be knocked out in training for a contest, let alone twice.

It's an even bigger issue when that knockout happens to a 47-year-old, who's not even going to be competing in their normal sport. Following the interview's release, the Arizona State Athletic Commission, where the fight is taking place, said they would investigate the claims.

Luckily, no investigation will be needed. In a press release that came out earlier today, Anderson Silva clarified his previous comments. According to the MMA fighter, he meant knocked down, not out.

In a press release, Silva was quoted as saying:

“After seeing the reports and concern for me, I’d like to clarify two important things. One, I was never knocked out in sparring. I misspoke in that interview as I sometimes do when interviewing in English and exaggerated the normal back-and-forth action that occurs in sparring."