Anderson Silva heaps praise on Nate Diaz ahead of Jake Paul fight

UFC legend Anderson Silva has backed Nate Diaz to make a successful transition to boxing as he heaped praise on the American and his brother Nick Diaz.

Brazilian MMA icon Silva, 47, will return to the ring on October 29 to face YouTube superstar Jake Paul.

Paul, 25, meanwhile has previously spoken of his desire to fight Diaz, 37, who is currently a free agent.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer has been targeting a blockbuster bout with the ex-UFC bad boy for over a year.

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Former UFC middleweight champion Silva has spoken highly of his former comrade and believes he has every chance of success inside the ring.

"Let me tell you something: the Diaz brothers have amazing boxing," he said during an appearance on The Last Stand podcast with Brian Custer. "This guy in this sport can do something very, very special.

"You know, Nick and Nate have very good boxing, both.

"I think he's amazing. I respect both. I love both.

"The guys make a lot of fights special for the MMA community. The guys have a long, long, long traditional life inside the MMA sports. The people need to respect both because they are amazing fighters."

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Despite his age, Silva, who is 12 years older than Paul, has carried on fighting following his departure from the UFC after 14 years competing in the promotion.

He will next face off against Paul in a couple of weeks, with Silva admitting he knows he will have his work cut out when they step into the ring.

He added: "It's a big challenge, you know. Two big generations are coming together in this amazing thing.

"I'm so happy. Nobody in my age, in