Anderson Silva has already booked his place in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament despite being in training for a boxing fight with Jake Paul.
The UFC legend will take to the squared circle in a huge fight with YouTube star Paul on October 29 in Phoenix. It will be his fifth professional boxing fight having recently recorded a shock victory over former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, before a successful exhibition against Bruno Machado earlier this year.
A win for Silva could see him propelled into further boxing outings, if he is to become the first man to put a halt to the content creator's rising career. However the former UFC middleweight champion for now is just delighted to have freedom in being able to negotiate a whole host of fighting opportunities after previously being tied down to a contract.
"For many years I have had a contract with a big company but now I am able to do much more," Silva told The MMA Hour when discussing plans beyond his meeting with Paul. "This was in the past but now it is about the future and my legacy and I will continue doing my best in boxing and in different sports too.
"I think after this fight with Jake, I will go to Dubai to start training jiu-jitsu with my coach because I am entering a tournament and I am excited to put my heart into training and continue to test myself. Right now I am in control of my professional life inside combat sports and I can do anything. Nobody can control me and say 'you can't do that' or 'you are too old for that' and of course this is making me more happy."
Silva's fight with Paul is likely to prove one of the toughest tests of his career, as he takes on a fighter with an undefeated record who has already beaten two former UFC stars in Tyron Woodley and Ben Askren. However the Brazilian legend is expected to pose a much tougher test having already shown his ability in the ring, and having also shown his striking ability during his illustrious career in the octagon.
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Should the 47-year-old pick up victory, he could be thrust into an immediate rematch with Paul in a similar way to Woodley, who was called upon after losing to a narrow split decision earlier last year. However Silva has revealed he has already explored a key option for the final fight of his career which he wants to hold in Japan.
“Oh, you know, when I stopped doing my last fight in the UFC, I talked to Japan about doing my last fight there,” Silva continued. “Because it completely makes sense, because I [started fighting] my professional career in Japan. My first title belt I took in Japan in Shooto. And yeah, maybe I want to fight in Japan. My last fight, you know, to prove my respect for the people in Japan, for my fans in Japan, too. And we’ll see. I don’t know.”
