It's on: Jake Paul, Anderson Silva good to go for their boxing match Saturday in Glendale

From their first news conference in Glendale almost seven weeks ago through this week's preparations, fighters Jake Paul and Anderson Silva have continually showed respect for each other heading for their Saturday showdown at Desert Diamond Arena.

Paul vs. Silva, a Showtime pay-per-view event starting at 6 p.m., will also feature former NFL star Le'Veon Bell matching up with former UFC fighter Uriah Hall.

But all eyes are on Paul, the 25-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer, and Silva, a 47-year-old former UFC champion who left that circuit two years ago for boxing. They both made weight on Friday morning and are ready to go.

Back in that first September media appearance, Paul mentioned how he idolized Silva growing up. Paul continued to praise Silva this week when asked what it's like going up against an MMA legend.

"He's really really good," said Paul, who is 5-0 as a pro boxer. "He has a lot more experience. He has the height, the weight and the reach against me. The odds are really stacked against me."

Silva, when asked about how a loss would affect his legacy, said, "Jake and I are bringing two generations together. I don't believe this affects any of our legacies. It's about passion and love."

The only trash talking related to the main event came from Paul's brother, Logan, who was sitting in the stands during a Thursday news conference in Glendale. Logan, who has a little boxing experience of his own, chimed in when Paul was asked about what his naysayers in his camp were saying about the match.

Paul reached out to his brother to answer the question, claiming he was one of those naysayers, and that was when Logan started with the trash talk.

"Anderson, I love you, but I think he's going to knock you out. I'm so sure. It only ends one way," Logan said. "About two months ago I thought that the fight was going to end the way it always does, but Anderson, I do love you."

As the news conference came to an end, Paul offered a bet to Silva on the fight's outcome. Paul has been known to bet on his fights with opponents; after his last knockout win over Tyron Woodley, the losing fighter had to get a tattoo of Paul's choosing.

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For this fight, Paul offered something a little bit more serious. If Silva wins, Paul agreed to a rematch with Silva — in kickboxing. If Paul wins, Silva and Paul will form a fighter's association for all MMA athletes, advocating for better pay and better health care.

Paul has had issues before with UFC President Dana White, claiming that he would never fight in the UFC because of how little the fighters get paid. Silva, who is 3-1 as a boxer, claimed that the money he made in his last boxing match against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. was more than his final two fights in the UFC.

"We need all the help we can get," Paul said. "Guys like Francis (Ngannou), Israel (Adesanya) have come out to talk about this. Even (Georges St-Pierre) has tried to make this happen before. We need all the help we can."

There was a flurry of drama Thursday night when it was reported that Silva said in an interview he'd been knocked out twice while sparring during training. He later walked that back, but it was enough for the Arizona Boxing Commission to meet Thursday. The commission quickly cleared Silva.

Along with Paul-Silva and Bell-Hall, other fights on Saturday's card include former Bellator and UFC fighter Chris Avila taking on social media influencer Dr. Mike Varshavski, a rematch between Antonio Nieves and Alexandro Santiago from their 2016 bout that ended in a draw, and 18-year-old Ashton Sylve, the first signee of Paul's MVP Promotions, vs. veteran boxer Braulio Rodriguez.

Despite having a successful football career, Bell hung up the cleats for boxing gloves in early 2022. In his first career match Bell knocked out another former NFL running back, Adrian Peterson.

"If you told me I would be here five years ago, I would've said you're crazy. I didn't plan for (me to walk away) five or six years ago. After I was done playing, I picked up boxing for extra cardio and fell in love with it," Bell said.

Hall is a heavy favorite against Bell due to his MMA experience. Some were wondering if Hall had any pressure on him to win in dominant fashion.

"A fight is a fight. It changes when you got out there you just have to adjust," Hall said. "We're both athletes at the end of the day. I know he's a powerful, confident dude. He's a challenge for me and I love that."

Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva

Where: Desert Diamond Arena, 9400 W. Maryland Ave., Glendale.

When: Saturday. Doors open at 3 p.m. for first undercard bouts; main card starts at 6 p.m.

Tickets: Starting at $35 via ticketmaster.com

Pay-per-view: $59.99 on Showtime

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Jake Paul, Anderson Silva set for boxing match Saturday in Glendale