UFC Hall of Famers agree to boxing rematch nearly three decades in the making

A pair of UFC Hall of Famers have agreed to meet in the boxing ring nearly 27 years after they first fought in MMA.

It’s been a relatively quiet year in terms of high-profile MMA fighters making the jump to the boxing ring, although UFC parent company TKO is set to make its first foray into the sport in September when Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford meet in Las Vegas.

It certainly won’t command the same kind of attention from much of the combat sports world, but two weeks after Canelo and Crawford square off two Brazilian MMA legends will reportedly enter the ring in Sao Paulo.

Canelo Alvarez (red trunks) and Gennadiy Golovkin (white trunks) box during a super middleweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. | Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images

Vitor Belfort & Wanderlei Silva Agree To Boxing Rematch

According to the report from MMA Fighting, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva have agreed to square off in a boxing match that will headline Spaten Fight Night 2 on September 27.

Hardcore fans may remember that Spaten Fight Night 1 took place in June of last year and featured an exhibition boxing match between former UFC rivals Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen. The fight ended in a draw, as it wasn’t being scored by ringside judges.

Anderson Silva laughs during a news conference at Desert Diamond Arena on Thursday, Oct. 27, 2022 to preview his fight with Jake Paul./ | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

The boxing rematch on September 27 will see Silva and Belfort meet just shy of 27 years after their first fight at UFC 17.5: Ultimate Brazil, which took place in October 1995 and saw Belfort stop his countryman with strikes in 44 seconds.

UFC Hall of Famers First Fought In 1998

Following the loss to Belfort, Silva made two more UFC appearances in 1999 and 2000 but carved out his legacy as an all-time MMA great as a middleweight knockout artist in PRIDE.

Sep 29, 2018; San Jose, CA, USA; Rampage Jackson fights Wanderlei Silva during Bellator 206 at SAP Center. | Stan Szeto-Imagn Images

“The Axe Murderer” returned to the UFC in 2007 and competed nine more times for the promotion before a pair of appearances in Bellator, and last year Silva was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as part of the “Pioneer Wing”.

Belfort also joined the “Pioneer Wing” at the UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony last month, and in his post-UFC career the 48-year-old has already stepped into the boxing ring twice and defeated Evander Holyfield and fellow UFC veteran Ronaldo Souza.

Vitor Belfort before a fight against Lyoto Machida during UFC 224 at Jeunesse Arena. | Jason Silva-Imagn Images

“The Phenom” also competed in Japan with PRIDE on a number of occasions but is best known for his success in the UFC. He won the UFC 12 Heavyweight Tournament and light heavyweight title during his initial Octagon run, and he also challenged for UFC belts on three different occasions after rejoining the promotion in 2009.

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