Silva will struggle outdoors of the Octagon for the primary time since 2006. He’ll tackle Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. in knowledgeable boxing match in Guadalajara, Mexico, reside on PPV Saturday, June nineteenth in an occasion titled “Tribute to the Kings”.
Silva will struggle on the identical card that sees the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. tackle Hector “Machito” Camacho, Jr. in a particular boxing exhibition. Additionally on the cardboard will probably be Omar Chavez who will tackle Ramon Alvarez within the rubber match of their trilogy.
Promoted by Borizteca Boxing and Toscano Promotions, “Tribute to The Kings” will probably be reside on Pay-Per-View and is being produced by International Sports activities Streaming.
Chavez Jr. vs. Silva – Tribute to the Kings – will probably be accessible for reside viewing on cable, satellite tv for pc and digital Pay Per View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, on for a recommended retail worth of solely $39.99. Built-in Sports activities Media and Joe Hand Promotions will distribute all through North America through DirecTV, iN Demand, Vubiquity, DISH, SaskTel, Rogers, Shaw PPV and through the FITE.TV web site and app in the USA, Canada and choose markets world-wide.
Photograph credit score : Chris Farina – ChrisFarina.com, chrisfarinaphoto
MMA and boxing are two sports activities which have lengthy shared a considerably difficult relationship, with them typically being thought of rivals in some respects or complementary to at least one one other in others. Each of those are fight sports activities with international, passionate fan bases; nevertheless, they function in separate worlds with completely different guidelines, methods, and cultures as an entire. Regardless of this, current years have seen the road between these two preventing types be blurred barely as high-profile crossover bouts have managed to attract large audiences and media consideration.
Many see these crossovers as novelty acts, not a strategic a part of the fight sports activities enterprise mannequin because of their capacity to draw followers from each areas. Debates about preventing types and athlete adaptability have continued, however regardless of their considerably controversial merge, MMA and boxing crossovers have produced an entire sequence of spectacular spectacles, as you’ll come to search out out very quickly.
How Typically Are These Crossovers?
Within the final decade, crossover occasions between MMA fighters and boxers have grow to be more and more frequent; nevertheless, in comparison with the normal bouts in every sport, they’re nonetheless thought of comparatively uncommon. That being stated, their frequency and visibility has actually grown so much due to a number of landmark fights, a few of which have defied the boxing odds.
The next ones are essentially the most well-known and notable and have helped to alter the fight sports activities panorama.
McGregor vs Mayweather
In 2017, when Connor McGregor stepped into the ring with Floyd Mayweather, the worldwide attain of this transcended simply being your commonplace struggle. Branded as ‘The Cash Struggle’ within the leadup, this marked essentially the most high-profile crossover that had ever taken place in fight sports activities historical past on the time. Then, the UFC’s greatest star, McGregor, challenged one in all boxing’s all-time greats in a sanctioned boxing match regardless of having zero skilled boxing expertise.
As many anticipated, contemplating his undefeated file entering into the ring, Mayweather received through a TKO within the tenth spherical of the bout, with McGregor incomes reward for his competitiveness within the early rounds. Because of the standing of the 2 athletes on this crossover, the struggle smashed pay-per-view data, producing near $1 billion in income as an entire.
Even with the content material itself being lopsided concerning the extent of boxing ability between the 2 rivals, it validated the viability of MMA and boxing crossovers and laid the foundations for a lot of comparable matchups.
Francis Ngannou vs Tyson Fury
One MMA and boxing crossover that flipped the script on what many followers of fight sports activities thought was potential was the 2023 showdown between Francis Ngannou and Tyson Fury. This noticed a former UFC Heavyweight Champion identified for his devastating knockout capacity go toe to toe in a boxing debut towards the present Heavyweight Champion of the world.
Not solely was Ngannou in a position to maintain his personal, however he additionally shocked the fight sports activities world by knocking Fury down and taking the struggle to a cut up choice, which was determined by paper-thin margins.
Though Fury managed to say victory on the scorecard, many felt that Ngannou finally deserved the win. The Cameroonian powerhouse’s efficiency confirmed that MMA fighters with the fitting ability set may probably make a legit impression within the boxing world ought to they select to make the transition.
Anderson Silva vs Julio Cesar Chavez Jr
Talking of transitions, UFC legend Anderson Silva made one of the vital profitable ones in boxing in 2021 when he determined to face off towards Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, a former middleweight champion. Thought of properly previous his prime, as he was 46 years outdated, he produced a extremely spectacular efficiency over eight rounds, outboxing the Mexican to win a cut up choice.
Not solely was the bout a spectacle and a major win, however it additionally reminded followers of fight sports activities that elite strikers from the MMA realm can thrive within the ring, particularly towards an opposition that will underestimate them based mostly on the background they’re transitioning from.
Tyron Woodley vs Jake Paul
Though many contemplate the world of influencer and celeb boxing to be an insult to the game in some circumstances, there isn’t a doubt in regards to the consideration these bouts can draw up amongst new followers of the game. That is evident when discussing the 2 fights that former UFC Welterweight Champion Tyron Woodley had towards YouTuber turned-boxer Jake Paul in 2021. These bouts have been among the many most talked about crossover occasions of the yr, one thing which had been aided due to the latter fighter making a reputation for himself by difficult MMA veterans.
The pair’s first struggle led to a cut up choice win for Paul, which shocked many. When it got here to the rematch, nevertheless, this was way more definitive and shocking, as Paul scored a KO within the sixth spherical, eligible for iconic spotlight reels. Many MMA purists thought the outcomes have been disappointing and detrimental to the game, however the occasions drew main pay-per-view numbers. The brand new area of interest that has been birthed can mix high-profile opponents in distinctive crossovers, and these fights showcase the rise of influencer-based bouts.
Why Are These Crossovers Occurring?
Even with many die-hard followers of both boxing or MMA sticking to the truth that these crossovers are nothing greater than novelty occasions, there are a number of causes behind why they proceed to happen and grow to be an increasing number of common every time. One of the crucial simple causes is the paydays the rivals are introduced with, as boxing affords are usually extra profitable to these present in UFC, particularly to these fighters now not with a contract. Pay-per-view numbers are additionally important in some circumstances because of the media buzz and virality of those crossovers, so they’re excellent for conserving names related within the fight sports activities scene.
MMA and boxing crossovers happen for greater than monetary and publicity causes, although. Some fighters are genuinely and obsessed with proving themselves below completely different rule units. For strikers coming over from MMA, this offers a brand new problem in extending their notary outdoors of the octagon.
