Anderson Silva will face off against Chael Sonnen in a boxing match on June 15 in São Paulo, Brazil, Spaten Fight Night announced Sunday.
The fight is being promoted as Silva’s “grand finale,” but it won’t be Silva’s retirement fight, rather his final bout in Brazil, his team told Ariel Helwani of the MMA Hour.
It will be a professional fight at 216 pounds, with five two-minute rounds, Helwani adds.
Silva holds a 3-2 professional boxing record. The 49-year-old’s most recent match was with Jake Paul on October 29, 2022, which he lost by unanimous decision. His last victory came by knockout against Tito Ortiz in September 2021.
Sonnen, 47, will make his boxing debut against Silva. He retired from MMA with a 31-17-1 record after losing by TKO against Lyoto Machida at Bellator 222 in 2019.
“There’s only one person able to face ‘The Spider’ in his grand finale. Me,” he said in a promotional video.
Sonnen and Silva fought twice in the UFC, with Silva winning both contests. It was announced at UFC 300 that their first bout, which took place in 2010, will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame Fight Wing during International Fight Week in late June.
