KEY POINTS

  • Anderson Silva's camp was caught off guard with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.'s announcement
  • Silva has yet to reveal his next plans following his UFC release
  • Chavez holds a clear edge over Silva if the fight takes place in June

Mixed martial arts legend Anderson Silva has yet to reveal what his plans are, but most were under the impression he would retire.

Nothing official has been announced. However, fight sports fans got a bit of a shock recently when Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. revealed that a fight between him and “The Spider” will be happening in June.

The June event he was referring to was “Tribute to the Kings.” Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. will be facing Hector “Macho” Camacho Jr. in an exhibition fight, a norm that old fighters appear to be getting into.

Chavez Jr.’s name was part of that event although his opponent wasn't indicated. That was until March 18 when Chavez himself announced he would be facing the Brazilian MMA icon.

When that got out, social media went abuzz, seeking clarification if the announcement was authentic. Silva's camp was likewise shocked, stating that it was something that they were unaware of.

Hence, the claims of Chavez Jr. of facing Silva on Jun. 19 are unofficial. The latter has not said anything tied to it although he may clear it all out when he arrives in the United States this Saturday.

Furthermore, details on the said bout remain scarce. It was not mentioned by Chavez Jr. if his fight against Silva would be official or an exhibition.

But if the fight does materialize, there is no question that the former boxing champion would have a distinct advantage over the reeling 45-year-old mixed martial artist.

Hence, this allegation of Chavez Jr. needs further clarity and that could happen in the coming days. Silva has won only one of his last nine fights, something that led to him being released by the UFC.

Silva does have options, but trying out boxing is something most did not foresee.

As for Chavez, he last fought in November 2020 against Jeyson Minda. He won that via TKO in the fourth round.

It was a bounce-back win for the Mexican pugilist following two consecutive losses to Daniel Jacobs and Mario Abel Cazares.

Anderson Silva
Anderson Silva will compete for the first time since February 2017. In this picture, Silva looks on before fighting against Derek Brunson in their middleweight bout during UFC 208 at the Barclays Center in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City, Feb. 11, 2017. Anthony Geathers/Getty Images
RELATED STORIES