Anderson Silva-Fedor Emelianenko Fight Could Happen In Japan

In this handout image provided by UFC, Anderson Silva of Brazil reacts after his loss to Uriah Hall in a middleweight bout during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX.
Getty Images | Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

KEY POINTS

Anderson Silva wants his last-ever bout to be in the world of MMA
MMA heavyweight icon Fedor Emelianenko has been floated as his opponent in Japan
A Japan card would be the perfect ending for Silva’s career

Anderson Silva wants one last go-around in the world of mixed martial arts before he completely calls it a career.

In a guest appearance on “The MMA Hour” hosted by Ariel Helwani, Silva revealed that Japan could be the staging ground for his ultimate farewell fight.

“When I did my last fight in the UFC, I talked to Japan about doing my last fight there because it completely makes sense,” Silva mentioned.

“My first title belt, I took in Japan, in Shooto. Maybe I fight in Japan, my last fight, to prove my respect for the people in Japan, for my fans in Japan too. We’ll see, I don’t know.”

While most combat sports fans recognize Silva as one of the best MMA fighters of all-time thanks to his stylish striking game, the “Spider” made his return to boxing in 2021.

Silva took home a split decision victory over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in June, 16 years after his last boxing match, and followed it up with a knockout win against former UFC light heavyweight king Tito Ortiz in September of the same year.

Earlier in the month, it was confirmed by multiple sources that Silva’s next opponent will be social media star Jake Paul on October 29 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Silva did not reveal any names as to who he could possibly fight in his final MMA bout, but there is an interesting name that has been floated: heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko.

Bellator president Scott Coker revealed to Helwani in a recent conversation.

“We did offer him an MMA fight against Fedor. We didn’t even get serious or talk numbers or anything like that, but there was definitely an outreach on our part to see if there’s any interest. At that time, he really wanted to focus on his boxing and see how far he could take it,” the Bellator head honcho shared.

Coker acquiesced that finding an amenable weight class for both parties would be a massive challenge, but the fact that the possibility of it happening was good enough for now.

Silva did fight at light heavyweight (205 pounds) four times in his UFC career, while “The Last Emperor” weighed in at 233 pounds in his October 2021 fight against Tim Johnson.

An event in “The Land of the Rising Sun” would be the storybook setting for Silva’s last farewell due to their history with both Shooto and PRIDE.

With all of the possibilities and uncertainty surrounding such a spectacle of a fight, it is likely that serious talks of an Emelianenko-versus-Silva match would happen well after the latter’s October boxing stint.