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Brett Okamoto, ESPN staff writer
One of the biggest fights in mixed martial arts history will resume next month.
Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva facing Chael Sonnen The Spatton Fight Night promotion was announced on Sunday for the June 15 boxing match in Brazil. Silva, 49, had been teasing his final fight earlier this week, saying his final fight would take place next month in his hometown of Sao Paulo.
Sonnen, 47, confirmed his participation via social media.
„Oh Anderson, yohoo,” Sonnen said. „It’s me again. See you June 15.”
Silva (34-11) and Sonnen (30-17-1) put together one of the most memorable two-fight bouts in UFC history. Silva was in the midst of a UFC-record 16-fight winning streak when he ran into Sonnen in 2010. The obvious title challenger from West Linn, Oregon is a huge underdog heading into their first meeting at UFC 117.
Sonnen shocked the world for 23 minutes of that fight, dominating Silva with takedowns and ground-and-pound before getting a late triangle choke on Silva’s back. The UFC is set to induct that fight into its Hall of Fame at the end of June.
They met again two years later at UFC 148 in a blockbuster rematch in Las Vegas. Silva lands a spinning backfist that knocks Sonnen off balance with a knee to the chest.
Silva retired from the UFC in 2020, but has since boxed professionally four times. He is 2-1-1 in the ring, the only loss coming in 2022 to Jake Paul. Sonnen retired from MMA in 2019 after five appearances in Bellator MMA. The former college wrestler never boxed professionally.
In 2010 Silva was considered the greatest fighter of all time, but Sonnen’s ability to promote their rivalry with his trash-talking of the Brazilian legend helped propel him to stardom.