Anderson Silva says MMA career is likely done
UFC legend Anderson Silva believes fans have seen him fight in a professional mixed martial arts bout for the last time.
"I think MMA for me is done," Silva told ESPN's Ariel Helwani. "Because it's hard to train MMA. It's hard to stay training in a good level because you hurt yourself a lot. Now I just try to enjoy. I don't need to prove nothing for anybody. I just try to enjoy every single moment I fight in different sports. And that's it."
The UFC parted ways with the former middleweight champion in late 2020. Silva suffered a fourth-round knockout loss to Uriah Hall in his last fight with the promotion.
Silva said he'll continue to compete in other combat sports. He's set to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a boxing match on June 19 at the Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
"The Spider" owns many UFC records, including longest title reign (2,457 days), longest win streak (16), and most finishes in title fights (nine).
Silva's middleweight title reign lasted from 2006 to 2013, during which he had 10 successful defenses, which also set the UFC record for the most consecutive title defenses in the division.
The 46-year-old compiled a record of 34-11 with one no-contest over his illustrious MMA career.