Uriah Hall wants to avenge Anderson Silva’s loss to Jake Paul

“I definitely think I could take him,” Uriah Hall told reporters.

“He has an awkward style. I was watching him. His style will lure you in. It’s almost like it’s hard to hit him, the way he stands a certain way and throws these awkward punches. In all his fights, he almost does the same thing. I definitely think I could give him a challenge, because I’ll come at him. He’ll hit me, but I’ll come at him. I don’t back up with boxing gloves on. I take a couple shots, but I’ll come at you. Le’Veon (Bell) was probably one of the hardest-hitting dudes with those gloves on that I’ve ever felt. I don’t think Jake hits that hard. Yeah, bro, you don’t. Yeah, I said it.”

Paul, at the young age of 25, won a unanimous decision against Anderson Silva, the former UFC middleweight champion, and even knocked him out. While Hall has no real ties to the mixed martial arts world beyond respect, he does want to get revenge for a loss he suffered at the hands of an ex-opponent.

“You should’ve heard me in the background,” Hall said.

“I was like, ‘Revenge is coming.’ It sucked. It even sucked when I had to fight him. Anderson has done so much for the sport. He inspired a lot of people, some people in this room. He’s an icon. He’s a legend. When people say that I’m a legend, I’m like, ‘That dude is a legend.’ I have so much respect for him. It hurt to watch, but I’ve got to separate those emotions. At the end of the day, it’s the skillset. Jake Paul did what he had to do to win, but I definitely felt it for Anderson.”

After 38 years of MMA competition, Hall announced his retirement in August. During his first bout as a professional boxer, Hall earned a unanimous decision win over Bell, a former NFL star.

For Hall, the event was a far better fit than mixed martial arts. He wouldn’t say what he’ll do next, but Hall sounded open to taking whatever boxing contests come his way so long as they’re enjoyable.

“I’m just having fun,” Hall said.

“When I was on vacation, I got this call from my coach. I was like, ‘Oh, all right.’ I was still in my weird, little world of trying to figure out what to do. Plus, I was partially depressed as well. The training definitely got me out of it. I’m just having fun. This was a completely different kind of setting. The training of course wasn’t grueling on the body. MMA is hella worse, getting up and grabbing motherf*ckers. This was just pure skill and technicality, with just the hands, the movement, and stuff like that.

“If the opportunity strikes, I’ll definitely do it. I love to compete. I’m still in my prime. I still got some more miles on me. If something comes my way, I’m doing it. For the most part, I’m just having fun. If there’s a potential chance to kick that dude’s ass, f*ck yeah, I’ll do it.”