The UFC GOAT contender is set to step back into the ring against someone he has not faced before.
Originally, Anderson Silva was scheduled to face Chris Weidman in a trilogy bout that was meant to settle their long-standing rivalry. The fight was set for the Kaseya Center in Miami.
It would have marked Silva’s first professional appearance since his defeat to Jake Paul in October 2022.
But that plan changed when Paul’s fight with Gervonta Davis was called off earlier this month.
Now, after MVP revealed the full undercard for the rescheduled event featuring Anthony Joshua, Silva has officially been paired with a new opponent.
Tyron Woodley replaces Chris Weidman as Anderson Silva’s new opponent
Paul was full of admiration for Silva after learning that the Brazilian legend, once his own rival, would share the same event billing.
What initially seemed like a missed opportunity was revived when Most Valuable Promotions secured a replacement opponent for ‘The Spider’.
Reports indicate that Chris Weidman, the original name pencilled in, could not commit to the new date of 19 December due to injury.
As a result, the Netflix broadcast of Paul’s bout with Anthony Joshua will now include Silva taking on Tyron Woodley in a showdown between two former UFC champions.
Woodley, a past holder of the welterweight belt, has taken part in a pair of professional boxing matches since leaving the UFC in 2021 – both of which ended in defeat to Paul.
The contest is scheduled for six rounds at a 195-pound cruiserweight limit.
Tyron Woodley praised by Most Valuable Promotions for accepting Anderson Silva fight
Most Valuable Promotions’ CEO Nakisa Bidarian hailed Woodley for his straightforward approach in stepping up to face Silva.
Bidarian suggested that not many fighters were willing to accept a short-notice bout against ‘The Spider’, sharing the following message on Instagram: “Met with Tyron Woodley in London on Tuesday. Wednesday morning we had the fight agreed. Shout out to Anderson and Tyron being real G’s of this fight game. So many MMA cats ran from fighting the GOAT Anderson Silva on short notice. Not TWood. Too real.”
Both fighters have previously worked with MVP during their respective bouts against Jake Paul, so it makes sense that Woodley was approached to fill in and take on Silva.
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