The last we’ve heard from MMA icon Wanderlei Silva was his official retirement announcement from MMA competition. “The Axe Murderer,” however, bared plans to venture into boxing, specifically naming fellow legend Dan Henderson as a possible opponent.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting.com’s Trocação Franca podcast, Silva once again mentioned his boxing aspirations. At 46 years of age, he says he still wants to test himself against the sport’s best.
“I would like to fight a boxer, right? I always liked to do it in their game. Even when I was training, I liked to do jiu-jitsu with jiu-jitsu guys and wrestle wrestlers. I like to test myself.
“I would like to box one of those good guys, maybe a former world champion, something like that. That would be interesting.”
But if he does venture into boxing, he says he does not want to take the same path as Vitor Belfort did.
“But I don’t want to fight an old man like our friend did, fighting someone who’s almost 70. It has to be someone younger, right?
“To fight an old man and beat them quickly is something other type of fighters do. I won’t do that. I wanna box someone good.”
The 45-year-old Belfort famously TKO’d 59-year-old boxing great Evander Holyfield in the first round of their exhibition match in 2011. He is now slated to take on Hasim Rahman Jr. on October 15.
As for Silva, he hasn’t seen action since September 2018 when he lost to Quinton “Rampage” Jackson via second-round TKO at Bellator 206.
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