— UPDATE —
Silva later posted to social media on Sunday stating that he will NOT be fighting Crews after all. The former UFC champion states that Crews is a close friend and that he will announce his actual opponent shortly. See below:
UPDATE | Anderson Silva says he will NOT be fighting Terry Crews.
He will instead be announcing his opponent later this evening for what will be the final fight of his career.
IG / @SpiderAnderson #UFC #MMA #Boxing https://t.co/bEsi1fZt5W pic.twitter.com/kVD2pJdiUq
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 19, 2024
— END OF UPDATE —
The headline above isn’t wrong. Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight king Anderson Silva is expected to enter the boxing ring against actor Terry Crews on June 15 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It’s being called “Spider’s Grand Finale” and will air LIVE on TV Globo.
This is according to a recent report by Brazilian news outlet, @choquei.
AGORA: Terry Crews e Anderson Silva marcam luta no Brasil para o dia 15 de junho com transmissão da TV Globo. pic.twitter.com/8f1jbWN8dT
— CHOQUEI (@choquei) May 18, 2024
Silva, who turned 49 this past April, has fought three times since leaving UFC back in 2020. All of those contests have come inside the boxing ring. “Spider” defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. with a huge upset decision, then knocked out Tito Ortiz with ease, and then most recently suffered a decision loss to Jake Paul in Oct. 2022. That is the last time fight fans saw Silva compete.
Since then, the UFC legend has bearded and bloated almost beyond recognition.
If this report is true and Silva will fight Crews next month in Brazil it’s not the best way to end a legendary career chock-full of real accomplishments. Crews is an in-shape actor with zero combat experience, but a massive social media following that should draw considerable interest. So even though it’s a smart move for ratings purposes, Silva will be a heavy betting favorite to handily stop Cheeseburger Eddy in his tracks.
Crews, 55, is known for his roles in movies such as White Chicks, Idiocracy, and The Longest Yard. The confident actor took to social media over the weekend to deliver a cringe-worthy callout of Silva. Check it out below:
Why in the hell is Terry Crews trying to fight Anderson Silva pic.twitter.com/sxKB8HZNXO
— Jason Williams (@jasoneg33) May 18, 2024
“I’ve been training, I’m ready,” said Crews (shown above). “I will see you at fight night, on June 15th, in Brazil.”
Silva eventually took to his social media and delivered his own video for Crews. That can be seen below:
Anderson Silva sends a message to Terry Crews:
“Terry Crews, June 15 I’m waiting for you. I’m preparing myself for you.”
IG / @SpiderAnderson pic.twitter.com/owtINgDpN4
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 19, 2024
“Terry Crews, June 15 I’m waiting for you. I’m preparing myself for you,” responded Silva.