Five years after his official retirement from MMA in 2019, ESPN combat sports analyst Chael Sonnen will come out of retirement on June 15 to box Anderson Silva in Brazil. Silva and Sonnen have competed twice before in MMA for the UFC middleweight championship, with Silva winning both before the final horn.
Though he has hinted at the fight being the last of his illustrious career, Silva has not outright declared that he would retire at the end of the night.
ESPN Analyst Chael Sonnen to Box Anderson Silva in Brazil
Since May 16, former UFC champion Anderson Silva has been promoting his final combat sports appearance scheduled to occur in Brazil on June 15. Silva announced it would be with Spaten Fight Night but did not confirm an opponent until several days later.
Late on May 19, Silva’s old rival, Chael Sonnen, released a video on social media reporting that he would be the unnamed opponent of the Brazilian. With a smile, Sonnen said in the video:
“Oh Anderson, yoo-hoo — it’s me again. See you June 15th.”
Anderson, I’ll see you June 15th…#Advertisement @spiderandersonsilva @spaten_br #BebaComModeração #SpatenFightNight #UltimaLutaSpider #EstiloForteSpaten pic.twitter.com/PUZ1AGAm3Z
— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) May 20, 2024
While Sonnen has trained his boxing and striking skills to improve his MMA game, the 47-year-old has never competed in the ring. Silva, 49, owns a 3-2 record in boxing, last losing to Jake Paul in 2022.
Since he was released by the UFC in 2020, the former middleweight champion has exclusively competed in boxing, picking up impressive wins over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz entering his high-profile bout with Paul.
In 2014, Sonnen signed with ESPN as an analyst and after retiring from competition in 2019, he transitioned to a full-time employee. His work is seen on both UFC and PFL broadcasts while he also co-hosts the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast with Daniel Cormier on the network.
Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva’s rivalry
In his prime, Anderson Silva was largely considered unstoppable but one man almost ended his title reign prematurely. Of his 10 official title defenses, Silva’s two fights with Chael Sonnen still stick out on paper over 10 years after the end of his remarkable reign.
As one of the most popular fighters of his era, Sonnen earned his first 185-pound title shot at UFC 117. Against the unbeatable champion, Sonnen shockingly put a clinic on Silva, out-wrestling ‘The Spider’ for nearly all 25 minutes. However, in the final round, Silva wrapped up a triangle choke that caused Sonnen to tap, completing one of the greatest comebacks in MMA history.
On the back of their heated rivalry and the dominance of Sonnen in the first fight, the two would meet again two years later. The second fight was much less competitive, with Silva finishing ‘The Bad Guy’ with a second-round TKO.
In early 2024, the first fight at UFC 117 was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. Silva had previously been inducted into the fighter wing, but the honor would make Sonnen a Hall of Famer for the first time.
Regardless of their bad blood, Silva still credits Sonnen for being a crucial part of his legacy years after their last fight. Now, 12 years after their second meeting, the old rivals will meet again in a new setting for what is likely to be the final fight for both men.
About the Author
Jaren Kawada is a freelance sports writer from Indianapolis, Indiana with a strong passion for MMA and sports betting. Kawada has also written for Sportskeeda MMA, FanSided MMA, and BetSided as a combat sports analyst.
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