UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva overcame the odds to hand Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. one of his lone defeats.
The first half of Anderson Silva‘s UFC career was amongst the most dominant runs in promotional history, but seven losses in his final eight fights left a stain on his legacy. After parting ways with the UFC following a loss to Uriah Hall in Oct. 2020, Silva got back in the win column eight months later in a separate discipline.
Before the disappointing end to his time in the UFC, Silva was one of the biggest stars in combat sports and was one of the UFC’s early dominant forces. He set numerous records when he held the UFC middleweight championship, a title he didn’t relinquish for seven years.
Silva, who teased a ‘dream’ boxing match with Roy Jones Jr. during his UFC tenure, got the chance to enter the ring after his UFC contract ended.
Anderson Silva outboxed the son of an icon after his UFC departure
Silva competed in two boxing matches before making his way to the UFC, splitting fights with Julio Cesar De Jesus and Osmar Luiz Teixeira. In June 2021, Silva was booked against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. for an eight-round bout that few felt he had a chance to win.
But Silva shocked the masses when he proved to be a tougher test for Chavez than most expected.
Silva showcased elite head movement and technique reminiscent of his UFC championship prime. The old Silva rose to the forefront during the fight, as he taunted and frustrated Chavez for eight rounds.
After a closely-contested fight, the judges’ scorecards went in Silva’s favor as he took home a split decision victory. The win marked a new chapter in Silva’s legendary combat sports career, leading to a knockout boxing win over UFC legend Tito Ortiz and securing a fight with Jake Paul.
Silva hasn’t competed since an exhibition boxing match with Chael Sonnen last June. As for Chavez, he’s hoping to hand Paul one of the lone blemishes of his boxing career.
Jake Paul’s next boxing opponent named after Canelo Alvarez bout fell apart
Paul and Chavez will fight on June 28th in Anaheim, CA. It’s Paul’s first boxing booking since defeating heavyweight legend Mike Tyson in November.
Paul was briefly in talks to face off with Canelo Alvarez, but negotiations fell well short of the finish line as Riyadh Season signed Alvarez to a multi-fight contract. Alvarez will return next month against William Scull as he prepares for a super fight with Terence Crawford in the Fall.
Coincidentally, Chavez’s last boxing match came against Silva’s last UFC foe, Hall, last July. He won the fight by unanimous decision and has won three of his last four fights overall.
