Georges St-Pierre on Jake Paul ahead of Anderson Silva fight: ‘It started off as a joke and look at him now’

Georges St-Pierre admits he wasn’t taking Jake Paul’s boxing career seriously at first, but Paul is changing the former UFC champion’s mind ahead of his toughest fight to date.

Paul will face Anderson Silva at the Paul vs. Silva boxing event this Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., which airs on Showtime PPV.

Ahead of Saturday’s showdown, St-Pierre was asked about Paul’s success in the boxing world to this point — which includes a finish of Ben Askren, and two wins, including a vicious knockout, against Tyron Woodley.

“This whole thing started off as a joke for most of the so-called experts, and I’m no different,” St-Pierre told reporters. “He beat Nate Robinson, but they didn’t see him as a real boxer. Then he beat Ben Askren, then steps up his game and beats Woodley, now he’s fighting Anderson Silva. That’s crazy.

“He’s stepping up his game every single time. Love him, hate him, but one thing about Jake Paul is you have to respect him. He has a lot of courage, and has the audacity that every time he’s stepping up to guys who are better, better, better, and he’s living the American dream. For a a lot of people, it’s very inspiring. No one gave him a chance at first. It started off as a joke and look at him now. It’s an incredible journey and it’s not over.”

As expected, “GSP” didn’t give an official prediction on the fight. On paper, the former two-division UFC champ believes Silva checks all the boxes in terms of skill set and attributes, while Paul may have the great equalizer.

“Anderson Silva is faster, better mobility, more fluid, more experienced of course, but Jake Paul has something Anderson does not have: He has what my trainer calls ‘the touch of death,’” St-Pierre said. “He can hit you with one shot, his right hand that comes outside of his opponent’s line of vision, and he’s been very successful so far with it. The way he throws it is so deceptive.

“He has a weapon that at any given moment he can throw it and end the fight. That’s a very dangerous thing.”

Since parting ways with the UFC following three straight losses, Silva has found a career resurgence in the squared circle with an upset decision win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and an 82 second, one-punch knockout of Tito Ortiz at Holyfield vs. Belfort in September 2021.

St-Pierre can’t help but sit back and smile as he watches Silva enjoy life in the world of combat sports — even while knocking on the door of 50 years of age.

“I was sad to see the way he ended his career in mixed martial arts, but then I saw him when [he beat] Chavez, it was incredible. It was inspiring,” St-Pierre explained. “It was one of the best performances of his entire career and it was in boxing. He was taking on an elite boxer in boxing, in Mexico, and completely dominated him.

“He’s at the top of his game and I wish him the best of luck. He’s 47 and he told me backstage, ‘Georges, I’m addicted to this, I can’t stop,’ and I understand. It’s hard to let go.”