The legend Anderson Silva spent nearly two decades establishing himself as one of MMA’s all-time greats. The Brazilian striker dominated the UFC middleweight division for years with spectacular knockouts and creative striking. He retired from MMA in October 2020 after a legendary career inside the octagon. 

Since then, Silva transitioned exclusively to boxing where he’s faced various opponents with mixed results. He knocked out Tyron Woodley spectacularly in December on the undercard of Anthony Joshua vs Jake Paul. That impressive performance proved the 50-year-old still possesses devastating power in his hands.

Recently, Netflix announced a blockbuster MMA card headlined by Ronda Rousey versus Gina Carano scheduled for May 16th. The event attracted major names including Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz, and Mike Perry to the lineup. Anderson Silva (34-11-0-1 NC) was also called to participate, but refused. Now he revealed the reason he refused to fight on the Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano card.

Silva’s Police Training Takes Priority Over Fighting

Anderson Silva sat down with Ariel Helwani recently and explained why he turned down the Netflix card invitation. Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Most Valuable Promotions, personally reached out to Silva about competing. The offer included options for either an MMA fight or a kickboxing match on the card. But Silva declined immediately due to commitments outside combat sports that demand his attention right now.

“Nakisa invited me to come fight MMA or kickboxing. But because I’m in this process [of becoming a cop], I just said, ‘I can’t this time.’ But when I finish the whole thing, I will probably have one more [or] two more fights, only boxing. [I don’t] have a [mindset] anymore to [train in] MMA… It’s too hard for me to [go] back to training MMA.”

Silva shocked the combat sports world after knocking out Woodley by announcing his intention to become a police officer. He revealed plans to train with the Beverly Hills Police Department as a way to give back. That commitment represents a dramatic career shift for someone who spent decades perfecting martial arts skills. The training process apparently requires significant time and dedication that conflicts with fight camp preparations.

The former UFC champion also admitted that returning to full MMA training feels too difficult at this stage. He still trains jiu-jitsu daily and boxes twice weekly to maintain fitness levels. But the comprehensive training required for MMA seems beyond what he’s willing to commit. MMA demands proficiency in wrestling, kickboxing, submissions, and cardio simultaneously. That’s a massive undertaking for any 50-year-old athlete regardless of their legendary status.

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Anderson Silva Still Has Two Fights Left Before Retiring

Anderson Silva made clear during the Helwani interview that his fighting days aren’t completely finished yet. He plans to compete twice more before hanging up his gloves permanently. Both fights would happen exclusively in boxing rather than MMA or kickboxing formats. Silva even named specific opponents he’d like to face for these final appearances.

“My last two, I think one good fight is with Chris Weidman. I think Hayato Sakurai, maybe. I don’t know [if he wants to] fight, but I think that’s two interesting fights for me.”

The Chris Weidman callout carries significant emotional weight given their shared history together. Weidman defeated Silva twice during their UFC careers at UFC 162 and UFC 168. The first fight ended Silva’s legendary title reign in shocking fashion with a second-round knockout. The rematch proved even more devastating when Silva broke his leg throwing a leg kick. That gruesome injury sidelined him for over a year and changed his career trajectory forever.

Silva clearly still thinks about those losses and wants redemption against Weidman in a boxing ring. The competitive fire burns inside him despite being 50 years old and transitioning careers. Weidman himself has faced serious injuries and health challenges in recent years. Whether he’d accept a boxing match with Silva remains completely uncertain at this point.

For now, Anderson Silva focuses on his police training with the Beverly Hills Police Department. The Ronda Rousey vs Gina Carano card will proceed without him on May 16th at the Intuit Dome. Whether Silva actually gets those two final boxing matches depends on completing his law enforcement training first. Fans hope to see the legendary striker compete at least twice more before riding off into the sunset permanently.

(Image Credit: DAZN)

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