Silva to box Woodley on Paul-Joshua undercard

Former UFC champions Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley will square off in a professional boxing match on the Jake Paul-Anthony Joshua undercard Dec. 19 at Kaseya Center in Miami, Most Valuable Promotions announced Friday.

Woodley is stepping in for Chris Weidman, who withdrew due to an injury.

Silva-Woodley is scheduled for six rounds and will be contested at 195 pounds. The Paul-Joshua event will stream live on Netflix.

Silva, a former UFC middleweight champion and one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, will step into the ring for the first time since a 2022 loss to Paul. The 50-year-old Brazilian has put together a 2-1 boxing record since retiring from MMA, which includes wins over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz.

Woodley, 43, is seeking his first professional boxing victory. The former UFC welterweight champion made his debut against Paul in August 2021, losing by split decision, and then suffered a sixth-round knockout defeat in a rematch four months later.

"Rising to occasions like this are the moments where legends are born," Woodley said in a press release.

Woodley hasn't formally retired from MMA, though he hasn't competed in that sport in nearly five years. He parted ways with the UFC in 2021 on the heels of a four-fight losing streak. Woodley hasn't won a bout since 2018.