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A clash between two UFC legends is scheduled to go down on September 11, 2021, however the two won’t meet inside an MMA cage, it’ll be a boxing ring.
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is set to box former UFC light heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz for Triller Fight Club at a catchweight of 195 pounds. The match is scheduled for eight rounds.
Silva was recently interviewed by Submission Radio about his upcoming bout. It will be “The Spider’s” second boxing match this year, earning a massive win over former champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in June. On the other end, September 11 will mark “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’s” professional boxing debut. Ortiz hasn’t competed in combat sports since his defeat of Alberto El Patron in an MMA match in December 2019.
Silva was asked about the contracted weight of 195 pounds. It will be the heaviest The Spider has competed at since his last UFC light heavyweight fight, which took place in July 2016.
Ortiz is a career 205-pound fighter, so the two fighters needed to find a middle ground, and Silva landed on 195 pounds.
“Normally I walk in at 199lb, 190lb, you know,” Silva said via Middle Easy. “That’s the weight that I think is good for this fight, because I’m not a big guy, I’m not a heavy guy, and it doesn’t make sense for me to fight with the big guys. Of course I fight, but it doesn’t make sense,” Silva explained.
“That’s the decision my coach said, ‘That’s the weight you need to propose to the promoters. That’s the weight, don’t do nothing stupid, because it’s not time for doing something stupid. You don’t need to prove nothing for nobody, just work hard and train hard, and stay at a good weight for you.’ That’s why I accepted the fight at the weight class.”
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Ortiz Unhappy With Catchweight, ‘Lost Respect’ for The Spider
In a pre-fight presser a few weeks back, Ortiz said he “lost respect” for Silva for having the weight 10 pounds below what The Huntington Beach Bad Boy has competed at for virtually his whole career.
“I appreciate this opportunity, Triller, Anderson Silva for finally agreeing to the weight that was mandatory for me to make 195,” Ortiz said via MMA Junkie. “So I’m literally trying to cut my leg off to make that weight, and I’ll do it. I’ve never missed a weight my whole career, but it just shows that I’m really that focused. But again, it shows that Anderson, he respects the power, so I’m excited. I respect the man as a fighter, but I kind of lost a lot of respect for him just for not fighting me at 200 pounds.
“I’ve never made 195 in my whole career of 24 years, and I’m going to try like hell to make it, and I will make it. But at the same time, I just kind of lost a little respect for the guy. Someone who’s been a great world champion, he’s fought at 205 over six times, he’s fought for the world title at 205. But once again, it shows that he respects my power and he’s trying to make me weak. But hey, as I do in every one of my fights, I’m going to make it exciting, I’m going to fight, and I’m going to make this vicious.”
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Silva Doesn’t ‘Know’ If He Will Fight Ortiz if the Former 205-Pound Champ Misses Weight
Well, if Ortiz is unable to make the weight, Silva isn’t sure what his team will decide to do.
“I can’t talk about that because that’s not my side, that’s Tito’s side,” Silva said in the same interview via Middle Easy. “I just sign the contract and put everything in the contract. If you want to fight, you make weight, you’re done, let’s do it. That’s the rules, that’s the game,” Silva said.
“I don’t know (if the fight will happen if Tito misses weight). That’s not a question for me, that’s a good question for my coach. I just try to work hard and keep my focus on my side, and we’ll see.”
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