Anderson Silva Discusses Upcoming Boxing Bout Against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

Anyone familiar with combat sports should know who Anderson "The Spider" Silva is. His accomplishments in UFC range from his impressive run as the UFC Middleweight Champion to a multitude of records that still stand to this day. However, combat sports fans will get to see how he fares in a boxing ring next weekend.

Silva faces Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the Tribute to the Kings pay-per-view on Saturday, June 19. The event is being held at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico and will pay tribute to one of boxing's greatest families, the Chavez's. It's just the next in a long line of boxing-MMA crossovers ever since Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather met in 2017.

While the fight may come as a shock to some, it shouldn't for anyone who knows Silva. Boxing has been prominent in his life for a long time and he even has two professional bouts under his belt, going 1-1. When it comes to his upcoming matchup with Chavez Jr., Silva said that he's grateful that the opportunity was there for him.

"I'm very blessed to be given this opportunity," Silva said. "I wasn't doing anything [when the event was announced]. I was on vacation with my family and people started saying that this was a good opportunity for me."

"I get to do something that I love and it will be a really good challenge. I feel like it's good for me."

Return to the Boxing Ring After 16 Years

It certainly will be a challenge for Silva on June 19. Chavez Jr. is extremely talented any time he sets foot in a boxing ring. The former WBC middleweight champion has 34 career knockouts in 59 total fights while only losing on five occasions. Meanwhile, Silva hasn't had a professional boxing match since he knocked out Julio Cesar de Jesus in 2005. Still, even after all that time, 'The Spider' isn't worried at all.

"I'm not nervous or anything. Fighting is fighting and it's all the same after someone gets hit first, you know?" Silva said with a laugh. "After that first punch, everything goes away. I'm not worried about getting back into the boxing ring."

Unlike a lot of MMA fighters who try to cross over into the world of boxing, Silva has enough training and experience as a boxer to the point where he feels comfortable in the ring. After all, he was constantly praised throughout his career for his footwork in the octagon. While there is a difference between fighting in a cage and a boxing ring, it's that type of skill set that could end up surprising people at Tribute to the Kings.

However, any time that athlete crosses over into different sports, people may ask him or her how they think they'll perform or what they want to prove to others. After all, some athletes may feel like they owe it to themselves to try while others want to prove that they still have a lot left in the tank. That's not how Silva works. Even though Chavez Jr. said that he thinks he can win via knockout, the former UFC Middleweight Champion said that he doesn't need to prove anything to anybody.

"I don't like to talk about that kind of stuff. Why does it matter?" Silva said. "I don’t have anything to prove to anyone. This is something that I love doing and I love doing it for myself, my family, and my fans. I'm just going to go out there and do what I love."

Silva's Plans for the Future are Open

Even though Silva doesn't need to prove anything, fans and experts are wondering what the next stage of his career will look like. After all, he just turned 46 years old back in April and has been fighting in some capacity for nearly 25 years. It wouldn't be unusual for a fighter with that much experience and that many accolades to retire, but Silva is leaving his future wide open.

"We'll see what happens [regarding future boxing matches], but I just love doing what I do," Silva said, adding that he'll make a decision whenever the opportunity arises.

If his fight against Chavez Jr. is a success on June 19, it wouldn't be surprising to see fans begin to plot possible fantasy boxing clashes. When it comes to Silva, though, he doesn't have any dream opponents in mind.

"It depends on the opportunity, but all I want to do is do what's best for myself and my fans," Silva said.

Silva mentioned that whoever he potentially fights next would be on a case-by-case basis. Still, if the UFC veteran manages to pull off the win at Tribute to the Kings, he could end up seeing some challengers willing to take him on.

The Tribute to the Kings pay-per-view will be available on Fite.TV on Saturday, June 19 for $39.99 USD. The event begins at 9:00 p.m. EST and will also include Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. fighting in his final boxing match against Hector Camacho Jr.

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