Report – Ex-UFC champion Anderson Silva in talks for final MMA fight with Japanese promotion

Former undisputed UFC middleweight champion and incoming Hall of Fame inductee, Anderson Silva has confirmed that he is currently holding talks with an unspecified promotion in Japan – to make his final outing in mixed martial arts competition.

Silva, 48, a former undisputed middleweight champion under the banner of the UFC, departed the Dana White-led promotion back in October 2020, suffering an eventual fourth round TKO loss to the now-retired, Uriah Hall in a headlining clash. The loss came as Silva’s third consecutively. 

Returning to combat sports back in June 2021 in a professional boxing capacity, Anderson Silva travelled to Mexico, landing a one-sided split decision win over former world champion, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

In September of that year, Silva also landed a stunning opening round KO win over former undisputed UFC light heavyweight champion, Tito Ortiz. 

Last October, however, Silva dropped a unanimous decision loss to controversial influencer, Jake Paul – losing a judging loss over the course of eight rounds to the Ohio native.

Anderson Silva reveals talks for final MMA fight in Japan return

Yet to officially close the door on his professional mixed martial arts career, Brazilian icon, Silva revealed earlier this week that talks were currently being held for him to make a return to Japan for one final fight.

“I’m now focused on these two projects and pretty soon we’ll have something nice regarding fighting,” Anderson Silva told MMA Fighting. “We’re in talks with Japan for a possible last MMA fight in Japan.”

“It makes all the sense,” Anderson Silva explained. “I started my career internationally there, so we probably want to end it there, too. Let’s see if that happens.” We’re waiting for these movie works to end – the projects I’m doing. So, we go to Japan and sit down to talk with the people interested in taking this fight to Japan and end my MMA career there.” 

Set to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame later this summer, Silva’s most recent win came in the form of a February 2017 decision triumph over middleweight division staple, Derek Brunson in Brooklyn, New York.