UFC legend Anderson Silva had some doubters when he was set to box against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. at the Tribute to the Kings boxing pay-per-view back on June 19. Even though Silva has had a tremendous UFC career, he still had a lot less boxing experience than Chavez. Nevertheless, “The Spider” ended up shocking the world, defeating Chavez by split decision after an exciting 8 rounds. Now, it’s only natural that people are wondering who Silva will fight next if he decides to step back into the boxing ring down the line.
Fortunately for boxing fans and bettors alike, Bovada has released odds on the next potential boxing opponent for Anderson Silva. As of June 23, the oddsmaker is projecting that he’ll take on YouTuber-turned-boxer Logan Paul at -200 odds. On one hand, it makes sense because both Logan and his brother Jake (+200) have been at the center stage of the sport for the last few years. Whether you think it’s a publicity stunt or legitimate combat sports action, the truth is that the Paul brothers get people talking about boxing. Logan recently fought Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition match a few weeks ago, so he’s clearly not afraid to call out big names.
The good news for any fans of the idea is that Silva seems open to a possible fight. Ahead of his bout with Chavez, the former UFC Middleweight Champion told TMZ that the Paul brothers are “good for the future” of boxing and that “everything is possible.” Whether or not such a bout draws the same ire that the Mayweather-Logan fight did remains to be seen.
Anderson Silva: Next Boxing Opponent Odds
Odds via Bovada as of Wednesday, June 23
- Logan Paul (-200)
- Jake Paul (+200)
- Mike Tyson (+900)
- Roy Jones Jr. (+900)
- Oscar De La Hoya (+900)
- Vitor Belfort (+900)
Will Silva Finally Fight Jones?
For the last decade or so, Anderson Silva has been trying to fight against boxing great Roy Jones Jr. in some shape or form. Obviously, being stuck in the UFC was a big reason why Silva couldn’t get the fight. However, now that he’s out of the company, could a clash between the titans finally happen?
Bovada is saying that Jones is +900 to be Silva’s next opponent. For starters, the former Olympic silver medalist is 52 years old now and hasn’t boxed against anyone professionally since 2018. His last combat sports competition was his exhibition match against Mike Tyson in November 2020. The good news is that Jones has said that he’ll “probably” step back into the boxing ring again. Considering how he was still calling out Silva a couple of months ago, maybe a potential bout is still in the cards.
Could Tyson vs Silva Happen?
At +900 odds, there is a possibility that Mike Tyson could be the next boxer to step into the ring with Anderson Silva. After being out of the ring for 15 years, Tyson made his boxing return last November in the aforementioned fight against Jones. There hasn’t been any beef between Silva and Tyson, so this fight would be more like a dream match that people always talked about but never thought would happen. Both men were household names in their prime and the same could be said today. Surely, a boxing match between both men would draw in a lot of attention (and money) for the sport. Considering how open Silva is to boxing anyone, the ball could be in Tyson’s court.
