Anderson Silva to box Julio Caesar Chavez, Jr. on June 19 in Mexico
Anderson Silva set foot in the Octagon for the final time last October. Though his UFC career may be over, he's not done fighting. Silva on Tuesday said that he has inked a deal to realize his dream of competing in professional boxing.
Silva said that he will box Julio Caesar Chavez, Jr., on June 19. The event, titled "Tribute to the Kings," will take place at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico, Silva told TMZ Sports. It will be available live on Pay-Per-View.
Though Silva lost his last three bouts under the UFC banner, he has always wanted to box professionally. He often targeted Roy Jones, Jr., as an opponent. It won't be Jones, Jr., just yet, but he will finally realize his boxing dream.
"When I look back at my journey, I see that nothing has been in vain," Silva told TMZ. "I am extremely happy for the opportunity to test my boxing skills with Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr.
"I train continuously, always striving for resilience and to overcome obstacles. Fighting is my everlasting breath."
"Tribute to the Kings" is also slated to feature Chavez, Jr.'s father, Julio Caesar Chavez, Sr., in a special exhibition bout opposite the son of his former rival Hector "Macho" Camacho.
Anderson Silva, one of the UFC's greats
Silva was one of the greatest UFC champions of all time, ruling over the middleweight division for years. He defeated the likes of Chael Sonnen, Rich Franklin, Demian Maia, Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt, Vitor Belfort, and numerous others.
Chris Weidman took the belt from Silva in 2013. Though Silva showed flashes of his earlier brilliance after that, he never quite returned fully to form.
Silva's final 10 bouts in the Octagon, including two losses to Weidman, left him with a record of 1-8 and 1 no contest before the UFC finally cut him loose in 2020.
Jon Jones asks UFC to be released, then deletes Twitter posts
Highlights and recap from Anderson Silva's final fight in the UFC Octagon
(Subscribe to MMAWeekly.com on YouTube)
