Anderson Silva recently opened up about potentially competing in MMA again on the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card and dropped a major update on his future plans. Silva is a bona fide legend in the mixed martial arts world and widely considered one of the greatest strikers in combat sports.
After retiring from MMA with an impressive 34-11-1 record in 2020, the UFC Hall of Famer switched over to boxing and is coming off a second-round TKO win over Tyron Woodley last December. He has a professional boxing record of 4-2, with three of those wins coming via knockout.
During an interview with Ariel Helwani, Silva claimed that he was offered a spot on the MMA card headlined by the Rousey vs. Carano fight on Netflix in May. The card will also feature superstars like Nate Diaz, Francis Ngannou, and Mike Perry.
Despite the size and scope of the event, the Brazilian MMA legend turned it down. Explaining why he turned down a return to MMA, Silva said:
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“Nakisa [Bidarian] invited me to come to fight MMA or kickboxing, but because I’m in this process now [becoming a police officer], to study, to keep my mind work on the one thing, I just say, ‘Oh, I can’t this time.’ But when I finish the whole thing, I will probably have one or two more fights, only boxing.”
He added:
“I don’t have a mind anymore to train in MMA, it’s just too hard for me to get back to train MMA. Of course, I train in jiu-jitsu every day. I train in boxing two days a week. But MMA, no, not anymore.”
When law enforcement officer lauded Anderson Silva’s passion for police work
After beating Tyron Woodley in the boxing ring last December, Anderson Silva made it clear that his next goal was to become a police officer by joining the Beverley Hills Police Academy.
Having been involved in the police training process for a long time, it’s no surprise that Robert Luna, an American law enforcement official, was highly impressed with Silva’s dedication. In an Instagram post, Luna wrote:
“Former UFC champion Anderson Silva has been a dedicated supporter and contributor to our Force Training Unit for several years. His commitment to excellence and mentorship made a lasting impact on our team and mission. Most recently, Anderson took the next step in his journey with us by enrolling as a student in our Force Instructor School [FIS]. Today, he graduated from the program alongside his fellow classmates.”
Edited by Nishant Zende.