The PPV bout between fellow ex-MMA stars Anderson Silva and Tito Ortiz took place on Sat 11th September on Triller Fight Night. Swapping the cage for a ring and donning boxing gloves, both champions were psyched and rearing to go.
The fight started with an aggressive start from Ortiz. Trying to pressurise Silva from the get-go, he moved slowly and with delayed punch combinations which allowed Silva to defend comfortably. Ortiz then backed Silva to a corner, packing the punches which left him open for attack. Silva seemed to willingly take shelter, waiting for the right moment to pounce. He saw the perfect opening and emerged from his guard to land a single right and a couple left hand hooks to Ortiz’s head. This sent Ortiz crashing straight into the ring post and down to the canvas. Silva needed no less than 82 seconds to knock out his opponent and claim victory.
This highlight-reel fight will skyrocket Silva’s professional boxing career to impressive heights. Transitioning from MMA where he was infamous for his powerful blows and precision punches; boxing seems like the perfect prospect for “the Spider” Silva. Silva has won his last two boxing bouts with a staggering win against Julio Chavez Jr 3 months ago. With rumours circulating about a Jake Paul line-up, Silva could be a refreshing face in this era of celebrity boxing.
This match co-headlined the Evander Holyfield vs Vitor Belfort PPV fight. This saw MMA’s Belfort win by TKO over Holyfield. Holyfield is a boxing legend who reigned the cruiserweight and middleweight divisions. Belfort is a heavyweight and middleweight MMA victor. The match saw Belfort win in the first round after Holyfield seemed to lose his bearings after the first few punches. Holyfield who is a month short of his 59th birthday was frustrated by the early finish as he thought he still had more to show. Though, the chances of winning against 44 year old Belfort were slim as the 14 year age difference became apparent from the start of the match. Despite this, Holyfield will always remain an undisputed champion who competed in some of the best named fights of his time.
Coming off a win Vitor Belfort called to merge boxing and MMA into a new sport! This phenomenon of crossover style fighting is quickly gaining traction, as more fans are interested to see how fighters perform in different combat sports against unlikely rivals.
Who do YOU want to see compete in the next big punch up?