A unique football-versus-MMA matchup has been added to the Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva undercard.
Former NFL All-Pro running back LeāVeon Bell will face ex-UFC fighter Uriah Hall in a pro boxing match Oct. 29 in Glendale, Arizona.
The four-round contest has been contracted at 195 pounds and neither man can be above 200 pounds on weigh-in day, per officials. Bell and Hall, who are making their professional boxing debuts, will wear 10-ounce gloves. The card is being promoted by Paulās Most Valuable Promotions and distributed by Showtime pay-per-view.
āIām just as excited to watch Hall versus Bell as I am for Paul versus Silva,ā Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian said. āYou have a legitimate top-10 MMA striker versus a world-class athlete who has proven he has true boxing skills and knockout power. This fight elevates our pay-per-view to a new level and these guys will undoubtedly put on an unforgettable fight for the fans in the stands and those tuning in.ā
Bell actually called out Paul last December for fighting smaller men with no boxing experience. In July, Bell announced he would not play in the NFL this season with an eye toward exploring his future in boxing. The four-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler knocked out fellow former running back Adrian Peterson in the fifth round of an exhibition bout Sept. 10. Bell has been training at Fortune Gym in Los Angeles ahead of the bout.
āAs soon as Most Valuable Promotions approached me about joining the Paul-Silva pay-per-view, I told them I want in and didnāt care who the opponent was,ā Bell said. āUriah Hall is going to feel my punching power and tap out like heās getting submitted. He is not built like me.ā
Hall, though, has far more combat sports experience than Bell and is a black belt in Kyokushin Karate. The fighter from Jamaica, who grew up in New York and now trains at Fortis MMA in Dallas, is a 17-year pro in MMA and spent nine years in the UFC. Hall, 38, announced his retirement from the promotion in August after a loss to Andre Muniz at UFC 276 on July 2, his second straight defeat.
Hall has always been known for his power. He was built as a top prospect on The Ultimate Fighter in 2013 after a brutal spinning hook kick knockout victory on the show. Hallās propensity for turning his opponentsā lights out didnāt stop while in the UFC. His eight KO/TKO victories are tied with Anderson Silva and Thiago Silva for the most in the history of the promotionās middleweight division.
āLeāVeon Bell, I hope you bring your best,ā Hall said. āI know I will.ā
Paul, the YouTuber who is now 5-0 as a pro boxer, will headline the card against former longtime UFC middleweight champion Silva, one of the greatest MMA fighters, who still holds the record for most consecutive victories in UFC history (16). Also on the card, Chris Avila, a UFC and Bellator veteran out of Nate Diazās camp, takes on popular YouTube doctor Mikhail āDoctor Mikeā Varshavski, and 18-year-old prospect Ashton Sylve meets veteran Braulio Rodriguez in his toughest test to date.
Paul teased that Bell vs. Hall could produce an opponent for himself down the line.
āAdding NFL superstar LeāVeon Bell to the card only increases this fightās star power and to have him go head-to-head with a fighter as experienced and dangerous as Uriah Hall ā itās going to be fireworks,ā Paul said. "Taking on this challenge is proof that Bell, like myself, is serious about professional boxing and after his knockout of Adrian Peterson, he looks like a force to be reckoned with. Hall on the other hand has already proven himself multiple times in the UFC and we know what he is capable of.
The four-time All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler
Damn dude can bowl professionally also, beast.
yup
At the upcoming Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva card on October 29th, former ranked UFC middleweight, Uriah Hall, will be squaring off with ex-NFL star, LeāVeon Bell ā in what will be both of their professional boxing debuts. We now have betting odds for this unexpected matchup.
Online gambling website Sportsbetting.ag has the much more experienced fighter in Hall listed as a -600 mega-favorite. Heās new to boxing, but Uriah is known in the combat sports world for being a complete striker. Bell has already had a boxing exhibition match, but this will be his first professionally sanctioned fight. The former Pittsburgh Steelerās running back is being offered up with a stout underdog tag of +350. No prop bets have been released yet for this contest.
Itās hard to not favor Hall here. Heās has proven himself as a well-rounded striker inside of the Octagon, and he may not have been completely boxing-focused while doing MMA, but he was still honing crucial striking fundamentals such as footwork, distance management, ring generalship, pace, and especially defense. Bell has athleticism, but he is nowhere near as polished as a Uriah Hall.
Bell is gonna get his bell ring. He stands zero chance in my opinion. It should draw some football fans into watch.
Paid to take a dive imo. I wouldnāt touch that bet with Givianis betting hand.
Uriah Hall: Ring girls making $70K compared to 10/10 UFC fighter purses is āutterly fāking ridiculousā
Uriah Hall is done with mixed martial arts (MMA), but heās still down for a good time that sees him paid for his efforts.
The Ultimate Fighter 17 (TUF) runner-up called it a career this past Aug. 2022 after a tough unanimous decision loss to Andre Muniz the month prior. Now, Hall is joining in on the exhibition boxing action, facing National Football League (NFL) free agent running back, LeāVeon Bell.
Hall and Bell took part in a virtual media day today (Thurs., Oct. 13, 2022) and the age-old fighter pay question was brought up for the now-former MMA fighter.
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