Back in December last year, Anderson Silva was set to reignite his storied rivalry with Chris Weidman inside the boxing ring under the Most Valuable Promotions banner. The former UFC middleweight champions were scheduled to meet on the undercard of the originally planned Jake Paul vs. Gervonta Davis event on November 14 in Miami. Their clash was slated as a six-round heavyweight boxing bout, offering a fresh chapter to one of MMA’s most iconic rivalries.
However, the fight fell apart after Weidman suffered an injury during training. Even after the Paul vs. Davis card was scrapped, Weidman still anticipated facing Silva when a new MVP event was scheduled for December 19, but misfortune struck again. The former champion completely tore his bicep tendon while throwing a left hook and was not able to recover in time.
The bout with Silva was expected to mark his return after briefly announcing retirement, followed by a move to the now-defunct GFL promotion. That organization collapsed before its debut events, which were expected to feature Weidman in a rematch with Luke Rockhold, leaving him once again searching for an opportunity to compete.
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With Weidman sidelined, Silva remained on the December 19 MVP card and instead faced former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley, scoring a knockout victory in the boxing ring. Interestingly, the trilogy bout between Silva and Weidman could still have materialized at the upcoming MVP MMA 1 event, headlined by Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on May 16 in California.
Weidman revealed that MVP approached him about facing ‘The Spider’ once more, but under MMA rules instead of boxing. Speaking to MMA Fighting, he said, “They did [reach out]. My manager hit me up. They were curious if I had any interest in doing MMA against Anderson, and I told my manager yeah but that has to be even way more money.”
While Weidman was approached about a potential fight, MVP never followed up with a formal offer, possibly deterred by Weidman’s financial expectations. He said, “To get through a training camp and everything. We asked for as much money as possible, and then I haven’t heard anything back.”
As for revisiting the previously scheduled boxing match, Weidman remains open to the idea. He had already begun a full training camp for that bout before the injury forced him off the card, and he appears willing to pick up where things left off.
The American added, “I would be down. I just haven’t heard anything. It’s been very quiet on that boxing front for me. I haven’t heard a thing. I would be down for that 100%. I’ve got a lot of respect for Anderson. I think he’s an unbelievable boxer. I think he’s a freak of nature.”
For context, Silva and Weidman have already shared the Octagon twice, both times with the UFC middleweight title on the line. At UFC 162, the All-American wrestler shocked the world by ending Silva’s historic 2,457-day title reign with a second-round knockout.
Their rematch at UFC 168 took a far more tragic turn, as Silva suffered a gruesome leg break that led to a doctor’s stoppage and permanently etched the rivalry into MMA history. Whether MVP revisits the matchup remains to be seen, but the door is clearly still open for Weidman and Silva to finally bring closure to one of the sport’s most unforgettable rivalries.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.