BREAKING: Wanderlei Silva to make his boxing debut against Brazilian bodybuilder this year

MMA legend Wanderlei Silva has announced that he will return to combat sports this year. On November 25, the former PRIDE middleweight champion will be stepping into the squared circle for his boxing debut against Brazilian bodybuilder Felipe Franco in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

This fight would mark Franco's first combat sports appearance ever. While the bodybuilder has never stepped into the boxing ring or an MMA cage, it undoubtedly allows the 37-year-old to prove himself against a legend of the sport. Interestingly, Franco is also a politician in Brazil.

Wanderlei Silva took to Instagram to announce the matchup and revealed that his son, Thor Silva, will also compete on the card. The youngster has a 2-0 record as an amateur in MMA and 1-0 as an amateur kickboxer.

'The Axe Murderer' wrote:

"After some time away from the rings, I’m back, but this time in a different sport: boxing. And it’s not any fight, my friends. I’ll be facing a great challenge, Felipe Franco, a renowned bodybuilder with strength yet to be known. I’m more than aware that it’s going to be a brutal fight, a battle of determination, strength, and strategy."

Wanderlei Silva retired in September 2022 with an impressive 35-14-1 record. He last fought Quinton Jackson at Bellator 206, losing the fight via second-round TKO.