MMA Fighting reports that multiple sources have confirmed that a boxing match between UFC legend Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz is due to take place at Triller Fight Club on September 11. That card is expected to be headlined by Oscar De La Hoya vs. Vitor Belfort.
For Silva, 46, this would be the second boxing match he has taken since leaving the UFC late last year. In June he beat former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by split decision to take his pro-boxing record to 2-1.
Recently Silva had teased a potential fight with YouTube megastar Logan Paul, who is coming off an exhibition bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. After his win over Chavez, Silva said he expected to work with the Paul brother. And more recently, Paul’s manager revealed to ESPN that there were serious talks going on regarding a Silva vs. Paul event.
Silva’s accomplishments in the UFC will ensure that ‘The Spider’ will be remembered as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever.
Between 2006 and 2013 he had a storied run in the promotion that saw him best, with style, the promotion’s entire field of top middleweights (and some light heavyweights). During that championship run Silva claims multiple promotional records such as most middleweight title fights, wins and defenses.
Since losing to Chris Weidman in 2013 Silva only managed one more win in the Octagon, a unanimous decision over Derek Brunson in 2017. He left the promotion after three consecutive losses to Israel Adesanya, Jared Cannonier and Uriah Hall.
Ortiz, 46, has an 0-0 pro boxing record. His last fight was an MMA bout at Combate Americas 51 in December 2019. There he beat former WWE superstar Alberto El Patron. Since then Ortiz won election to Huntington Beach city council and served as that city’s Mayor Pro Tem. In June, after months of controversies, gaffs and embarrassments Ortiz stepped down from that position.
Ortiz’s political dabbling, paired with his advancement of conspiracy theories and far-right rhetoric, now obscures much of his accomplishments in the sport of MMA. In his prime he was a UFC light heavyweight champion with historic wins over Evan Tanner, Ken Shamrock, Wanderlei Silva and Vitor Belfort.
In 2014 he signed with Bellator and went 3-1 in the promotion, taking wins over Alexander Shlemenko, Stephan Bonnar and Chael Sonnen. Before he beat El Patron he defeated Chuck Liddel, by KO, in a trilogy bout under the Golden Boy banner.
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