Spaten Fight Night has announced that Anderson Silva will square off against Chael Sonnen in a boxing match scheduled for July 15 in Brazil. The event, revealed on Globo’s Fantastico, did not specify whether it will be a professional bout or exhibition, nor the weight class or number of rounds.
This match is being touted as the “grand finale” of Silva’s combat sports journey, following his extensive career of 46 MMA bouts and six boxing contests, encompassing both professional and exhibition matches. However, Silva has not confirmed whether he intends to retire after this event. His professional boxing record currently stands at 3-2.
Born in Sao Paulo in April 1975, Silva has never fought professionally in his hometown. Throughout his career, “The Spider” has secured nine victories out of 11 MMA fights in Brazil, including notable UFC triumphs over Yushin Okami and Stephan Bonnar. His last fight in Brazil was against Jared Cannonier at UFC 237 in May 2019, which he lost via TKO due to leg kicks.
Sonnen, a former UFC title contender at middleweight and light heavyweight, has faced Silva twice inside the octagon. The duo’s rivalry gained notoriety after Sonnen’s vocal pre-fight antics, leading to a closely contested match that Silva ultimately won via fifth-round submission. Their rematch ended in Silva’s favor with a TKO victory.
Throughout his UFC and Bellator career, Sonnen amassed a record of 7-7 in the UFC and 2-3 under the Bellator banner. Notable victories include wins over Mauricio Rua, Michael Bisping, Quinton Jackson, and Yushin Okami. Although Sonnen coached a season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Wanderlei Silva in Sao Paulo in 2014, he never had the opportunity to compete in Brazil.
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