Should Anderson Silva retire from combat sports after the performance against Chael Sonnen? [Opinion]
The Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen boxing match has drawn considerable criticism from many in the combat sports community. Most fans and experts are deriding the fight's quality, particularly its lack of action. Nevertheless, they've expressed respect for both Silva and Sonnen for entering the ring despite being well past their athletic prime.
Sonnen subsequently indicated that his next boxing match could be against fellow former UFC star Jorge Masvidal, who's currently busy with his own boxing obligations. Meanwhile, Silva, too, is likely to continue his boxing career.
Anderson Silva previously faced Chael Sonnen twice in the sport of MMA. Silva defended his UFC middleweight title via fifth-round submission against Sonnen at UFC 117 (Aug. 2010). Their rematch saw 'The Spider' defend his belt again, beating Sonnen via second-round TKO at UFC 148 (July 2012).
Their third encounter came in the form of a 216-pound catchweight exhibition boxing bout that headlined a Spaten Fight Night event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on June 15, 2024. The event wasn't broadcast outside Brazil and had only a special list of attendees allowed to watch it in person.
Silva appeared to dominate Sonnen in their five-round exhibition, but the fight was declared a draw.
Anderson Silva vs. Chael Sonnen — Should 'The Spider' retire after his latest performance?
Following their lackluster fight, there have been widespread calls for Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen to retire. Sonnen had been retired since losing to Lyoto Machida in June 2019 and has only fought Silva since, but 'The Spider' has competed more frequently and has hinted at a busy fight schedule in 2024.
The consensus, well before and after Silva's UFC exit in late 2020, has been that the MMA legend should retire from all forms of combat sports competition. So, should he? While many fans are saying yes, yours truly would like to say no.
Truth be told, Anderson Silva still has his skills intact. Unfortunately, his speed seems to have drastically deteriorated. He's picked up just one win in his last nine MMA bouts, suffered seven defeats, and had one NC (No Contest).
After his UFC departure in 2020, Silva has competed in two exhibition boxing bouts and three professional boxing matches. He's 2-1 in pro boxing matches since 2021, with wins over MMA veteran Tito Ortiz, former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., and a loss against YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
It appears that Silva won't retire unless he feels he can't physically compete at a certain level anymore. Ergo, the need of the hour for him is good matchups. His exhibition boxing match against Chael Sonnen was, in fact, a good booking. Both fighters put on a show for the fans, and they didn't go all out in an attempt to hurt one another.
Unless Silva is matched up against a young, dangerous fighter like Tommy Fury or even someone like Jake Paul, there's no harm in the legend competing a few more times, be it in boxing or perhaps in an MMA fight.
Intriguingly, prior to his boxing match against Chael Sonnen, Anderson Silva appeared on The MMA Hour and shut down the rumors regarding his potential retirement. He clarified that the Sonnen matchup wouldn't be his retirement fight.
'The Spider' indicated that it would be his final fight in his native Brazil, but his fighting career would continue. The former UFC middleweight champion has also hinted at possibly fighting in Saudi Arabia. Silva stated:
"I'm not retired. I just put on my last fight in Brazil. You know?"
Check out Silva's comments below (2:12):