Anderson Silva Will Box Chael Sonnen In June
Anderson Silva will fight Chael Sonnen in a boxing bout on June 15 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
The fight will be a re-run of their UFC 117 and UFC 148 clashes. Heading into the first fight in 2010, Silva was the middleweight champion. He had huge wins over Forrest Griffin, Rich Franklin, and Dan Henderson, to name a few. Sonnen was the top-ranked contender, with victories against Renato Sobral, Jason Lambert and Paulo Filho. Anderson secured the victory with a triangle armbar in a fifth-round submission. The rematch took place in 2012. Silva won that fight again, stopping Sonnen in the second round. Their first fight was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame this year, and they will run things back in the boxing ring.
Anderson vs. Sonnen
“The first fight between Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen was incredible. This is the fight that made Anderson a star and showed the world that Chael could compete with anyone in the division. This incredible dogfight had everything you want in a five-round title fight, and it will be an honor to induct this fight into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer,” Dana White said
It will be a five-round fight, with each round set for two minutes. The fight will be contested at 216 pounds, as Silva will have his last fight in Brazil. Silva’s last MMA fight was in 2020, after which he pursued boxing. He has had three boxing bouts. He secured a split decision win over former WBC Middleweight Champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in 2021. Silva also knocked out Tito Ortiz in the same year. However, his last bout was a unanimous decision defeat to Jake Paul in 2022.
This is not the first time that Chael has been offered a chance to box. He admitted that he was offered $2 million to face former Undisputed Heavyweight Champion Mike Tyson. Tyson will now face Paul in a pro fight on July 20. Tyson will be 58 at the time of the fight, while Paul has the youth advantage at 28.
Sonnen On Paul vs. Tyson
The fight has raised safety concerns, but the Texas Athletic Commission have sanctioned it. It will go ahead as an eight-round fight under two minute rounds, as they will wear 14-ounce gloves. Chael rejected that fight. However, his fight with Anderson could be more competitive. Sonnen is 47, while Anderson is 49. That makes the fight potentially more competitive, unlike Paul vs. Tyson, which could be one-sided.
“I got offered a fight with Mike (Tyson) in Abu Dhabi. They were going to pay me two million dollars, which is a ton. They were going to pay him 12 million dollars. We had an LOI and everything’s going behind the scenes. It was his wife (who) pulled it: Nope, he’s never going to fight again. It was right after the Roy Jones fight.
“Vitor Belfort, who has never boxed, put him (Evander Holyfield) away so fast. So, this (Holyfield) is an Olympic gold medalist you’re watching. Vitor, who has never done it, put him away so fast… They labeled him like an elderly abuser: “How dare you? How could you do this?” He (Jake Paul) will get teased for taking this fight,” Sonnen stated
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