Former UFC rivals Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva will meet again in a boxing match in Brazil
Nearly 27 years after their first fight at UFC Brazil, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva are set to meet again — this time in the boxing ring.
Belfort and Silva have agreed to square off at Spaten Fight Night 2 on September 27, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, according to a report from MMA Fighting. The two first clashed in 1998, when the UFC held its first event in Brazil, under the company's original ownership. Belfort, then just 21, scored a quick TKO finish in the opening minute of the fight after dropping Silva with punches almost immediately.
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Now, with both men nearing the age of 50, Belfort and Silva will rematch in a boxing ring as Spaten Fight Night returns for its second event. The first Spaten Fight Night card also featured a boxing redux of a famed MMA rivalry, as former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva faced off against Chael Sonnen in a tepid exhibition bout.
Belfort has participated in several boxing matches since his last UFC fight in 2018, picking up a TKO win over former heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield in a 2021 exhibition bout, and also defeating fellow former MMA star Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza via decision in 2023.
Silva, who turned 49 earlier this month, has been less active since finishing his MMA career with consecutive losses in Bellator, but he has consistently expressed interest in boxing matches with fellow contemporaries.
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Belfort and Silva had been slated for a rematch under the UFC banner in 2012, following a coaching stint on "The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil," but an injury to Belfort forced him off the card.
Both Belfort and Silva have been inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as members of its "pioneer wing."
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