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- The Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva bout ended in a draw after five rounds, exposing Sonnen's lack of boxing experience.
- The exhibition bout was more of a light sparring session, with both fighters past their prime but still showing signs of resilience.
- Though there is a history between the two fighters, Silva had the advantage in the ring and the exhibition nature of the bout meant the fight lacked tension.
Last night, June 15th, Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva faced off in a five-round, two-minute exhibition boxing bout. The bout ended in a draw after five rounds, but there were some notable moments during the bout, including Sonnen slipping due to fatigue.
It was Sonnen's first boxing bout, and his lack of boxing experience clearly affected how the fight went. The two have met twice before at UFC, with Silva winning both bouts, in 2010 and 2012. Their first bout, 14 years ago, was named UFC Fight of the Year.
Chael Sonnen vs. Anderson Silva ends in disappointment
Nothing special happened during the contest.
The exhibition boxing bout, held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was primarily a light sparring bout, as have many exhibition boxing bouts over the years, and was advertised as Spider's final bout in South America, which is of course Silva's hometown, where the Brazilian was cheered on by huge crowds throughout the bout.
Exhibition boxing matches featuring former UFC fighters have become more popular in recent years, with Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva all facing off against Jake Paul. In recent years, boxing matches have become an interesting viewing experience for combat sports fans, as they have the opportunity to see their favorite fighters of the past step into the boxing ring.
Sonnen and Silva's history certainly adds another dimension to the story of this fight, with Sonnen having something to prove in Silva's home town, but the American just couldn't match up to Silva's striking prowess, who is known for it.
Anderson Silva vs Chael Sonnen full fight
However, Sonnen showed tenacity and determination to continue despite collapsing to the ground from exhaustion, which speaks volumes about his character as he was willing to fight to the end of the five rounds.
There's no doubt that both fighters are past their prime, but that's not what this fight is about — rather, it's an opportunity for two boxing greats to test themselves in the sport, and Silva has the clear advantage over Sonnen inside the Octagon.
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However, the fact that this was an exhibition fight meant that it was clear that neither fighter was looking to knock the other out, which may be the biggest criticism of an exhibition fight, but when you take into account the age of each fighter and the potential for serious injury, it's clear why the quality and strength of Sonnen and Silva's punches could become perfunctory at times and make this type of fight less appealing.
