Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman: Clash of Legends in Boxing
MMA legend Anderson Silva returns to the boxing ring to face one of his biggest rivals, former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. This exciting match will be part of the Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis card on November 14 at the Kaseya Center in Miami. The boxing match, which will be broadcast live on Netflix as the initial fight of the main card, will be a six-round contest in the heavyweight category.The fight will give 50-year-old Silva the opportunity to avenge his MMA defeats against Weidman, albeit in a boxing ring. Silva was knocked out by Weidman in July 2013, ending his historic 2,457-day reign as UFC middleweight champion. The rematch took place five months later, and Silva lost by TKO after suffering a terrible leg fracture.“Anderson and his team approached me immediately after the announcement of the Jake Paul vs. ‘Tank’ Davis fight and said they would like to be part of the event and would like to fight Chris Weidman,” commented Nakisa Bidarian, CEO and co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions.
Nakisa Bidarian, CEO of Most Valuable Promotions
Weidman, 41, was the UFC middleweight champion for 2 and a half years after defeating Silva, successfully defending the title against Silva, Lyoto Machida, and Vitor Belfort before losing to Luke Rockhold in December 2015. After starting his career with a 13-0 record, he went 3-9 and dealt with a myriad of injuries, including a broken leg in 2021. He announced his retirement from the UFC in January, but signed with Global Fight League and was scheduled to face Rockhold in April. However, the fight never materialized as GFL canceled all its events indefinitely. The outstanding college wrestler will now try his luck in a boxing ring and seek to reach 3-0 against one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.“I’m super excited to embark on another battle against Chris,” Silva declared. “We have history and on Friday, November 14th, live only on Netflix, we are putting another stamp on our chapter together. It will be a show for the fans!”
Anderson Silva
Silva has a 3-2 record as a boxer, with a victory over former middleweight champion Julio César Chávez Jr. in 2021 and a loss to Jake Paul in his most recent outing in 2022. Weidman will make his professional boxing debut.“I am undefeated in boxing and it will stay that way on Friday, November 14, live on Netflix,” said Weidman. “I am the ‘original spider killer.'”
Chris Weidman
“This is for Brazil… the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Anderson Silva, returns to boxing, facing the world, against Chris Weidman, the man who ended Anderson’s record championship reign,” said Bidarian. “Both fighters have everything to gain on Friday, November 14th, as the legends close the chapter on a contentious rivalry, meeting in the ring for the first time after their two iconic cage matchups. Unfinished business will finally be settled.”
Nakisa Bidarian
