It seems Anderson Silva is finally getting his wish to step back into the boxing ring.
The 45-year-old former UFC middleweight champion is reportedly set to face Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a 10-round boxing match on June 19 at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico. The fight, which is being billed as “Tribute to the Kings,” will be available live on pay-per-view.
The news was first reported by TMZ on Tuesday.
“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.”
This will be the first time Silva (34-11 MMA, 1-1 boxing) competes in combat sports since his UFC release in November 2020. The Brazilian last appeared in the octagon in October, when he lost to Uriah Hall via fourth-round TKO. The defeat was one of the seven losses the Silva has suffered in his past nine UFC bouts.
Silva has been campaigning for a boxing match for many years, while under contract with the UFC. There was interest in a match with former boxing world champion Roy Jones Jr., but the bout never materialized. Silva is 1-1 as a professional boxer. He fought once in 1998 and again in 2005.
Chavez Jr., 35, last fought in November 2020, when he stopped Jeyson Minda. The son of the legendary Mexican boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. is 52-5-1 as a professional boxer and held the WBC middleweight title from 2011 to 2012. Chavez Jr. is 2-3 in his past five fights, including a loss to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in 2017.
According to the TMZ report, “Tribute to the Kings” will also feature a boxing exhibition match between Chavez Sr. against the son of his former rival Hector “Macho” Camacho, Hector Camacho Jr.
