Anderson Silva's legendary run with the UFC is over, which means he's free to explore the wide world of combat sports. His first event post-UFC will see him return to the boxing ring, where he's set to fight former world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday night at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The fight is part of the "Tribute to the Kings" pay-per-view event on FITE.TV. Silva-Chavez Jr. is billed as the co-main event alongside an exhibition match between 58-year-old legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Hector "Little Macho" Camacho Jr. The card begins at 9 p.m. ET.
MMA Junkie's Danny Segura provided details of the Silva-Chavez Jr. bout, which is going to be a sanctioned boxing match:
According to Bovada (as of Thursday), Silva is a +325 underdog to Chavez Jr., who is listed as -550 favorite. That line is hardly surprising. Chavez Jr. is 52-5-1 in his boxing career with 34 knockouts. He won the WBC world middleweight title in June 2011 and successfully defended it three times. He's had issues in his career, but the squared circle is very much his home turf.
Silva, on the other hand, is 1-1 as a professional boxer. He lost his debut match by stoppage in 1998 and then scored a knockout win over Julio Cesar De Jesus in 2005. That second bout was something of a quick detour, as he was already well on his way toward putting together one of the best MMA careers ever. The expert striker won the UFC middleweight title the next year and wouldn't give it up until Chris Weidman knocked him out in 2013.
That was the beginning of the end for the Brazilian, who wound up winning just one of his last nine matches in UFC. Despite the tough run in his late 30s and early 40s, it doesn't seem to have diminished his love of combat sports. He sees himself doing plenty more fighting after facing Chavez Jr.
"Everything is possible," Silva said, per Segura. "Now I’m just trying to challenge myself. Maybe I fight on the same card my son is fighting kickboxing. Maybe fight jiu-jitsu—GI or no GI. Maybe muay thai. I'm very excited to go to Thailand, and train and fight in Thailand. I don't know. Everything is possible."
For Chavez Jr., the bout against Silva is a chance to inject some life into his waning career. He is coming off a TKO win over Jeyson Minda in November, but the last few years have been difficult for him.
The 35-year-old has lost fights against Andrzej Fonfara, Canelo Alvarez and Daniel Jacobs. He also pulled out of a bout against Alfredo Angulo in 2018 and was suspended indefinitely by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in 2019 for failing to provide a drug test.
According to DAZN.com's Steven Muehlhausen, Chavez Jr. says he's "rededicated" himself to boxing and is "ready to face anyone in the light-heavyweight division." He's getting a golden opportunity for a reset with Silva, who is dangerous but will likely lack polish in the boxing ring.
"I'm expecting a hard fight for the first three or four rounds but after that I think the UFC fighters don't have the [capacity] for making a disciplined fight. That's the difference,” he said, per MMA Fighting's Damon Martin.
If a focused and refreshed Chavez Jr. shows up to Jalisco Stadium on Saturday night, he should be able to get the win. Silva is 11 years older than him, and although he's plenty capable as a striker (as evidenced by 23 knockouts in his MMA career), he might not have the nuances or creativity necessary to trouble an accomplished pro.
Silva can use his frame and five-inch reach advantage (78" to 73", per BoxRec) to try to stymie Chavez Jr., but look for the latter to put together some combinations and counters that give him the edge in the end.
Prediction: Chavez Jr. wins by decision
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is on top of the boxing world, and he has been for a couple of years.
His $365 million dollar contract with DAZN is evidence of that. As are his world titles in three divisions and the legions of fans who will tune in to watch his fights, whether it's against a fellow great like Gennady Golovkin or cannon fodder like Rocky Fielding.
Rather than rest on his laurels, the 29-year-old is inventing new challenges for himself. After conquering the middleweight division, Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) is jumping two weight classes to light heavyweight, where he will take on Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) on Saturday night for the WBO world title.
Alvarez appears determined to do everything he can in his prime years to establish himself as an all-time great. He's taking a big risk in moving up 15 pounds, but it's a calculated one. Kovalev is a star in his own right, bringing name recognition and a hard-hitting reputation to Saturday's clash in Las Vegas. But Kovalev is 36 and has shown signs of vulnerability in recent bouts with Anthony Yarde and Eleider Alvarez.
Kovalev is capable of delivering an upset in this one, but Alvarez is the favorite for good reason. Few boxers in any weight class can match his all-around technical brilliance.
Alvarez vs. Kovalev Fight Info
When: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
Live stream: DAZN (subscription required)
TV: Sky Sports Action (UK only)
Odds: Alvarez -440 (bet $440 to win $100), Kovalev +350 (bet $100 to win $350)
Odds courtesy of Caesars and updated as of Saturday, Nov. 2 at 7 a.m. ET.
The odds are in Alvarez's favor, but they have been steadily drifting as the fight draws nearer. Kovalev's hope is that he can use his size and power to overwhelm Alvarez and knock him off whatever his game plan is. When Kovalev is at his best, his thumping jab sets the stage for him to rock his opponents with power shots.
Alvarez, however, has the tools to neutralize a great jab. Even though he has a shorter reach, Alvarez has incredible timing. If he can get a read on Kovalev's attack, he can conjure up counterpunches that might be more impressive to judges. Another advantage as a smaller, younger, slicker fighter is movement.
In his win over Daniel Jacobs in May, Alvarez's dizzying head movement proved nearly impossible for Jacobs to track, leaving him punching air constantly. Here's what that looks like:
If Alvarez gets in the ring and Kovalev's power stings more than he expected, one can imagine him boxing on the outside, using his quickness to break up Kovalev's offense while he dials up enough punches of his own to sway the judges.
Keeping the fight at a distance is an option for the Mexican, but it's not the one he's laid out for Saturday night. He sees himself taking the fight to Kovalev, targeting his body because "that's a weak point he has," per ESPN's Dan Rafael. If he's successful there, it's easy to see him slowly but surely eroding Kovalev's strength and willpower, allowing him to dominate the later rounds.
Kovalev will have to make Alvarez think twice about getting in so close, using whatever tools he has at his disposal: power, clinching and body shots. He's an accomplished fighter, and one could see him overpowering Alvarez if this fight had happened a few years earlier. But on Saturday, look for Alvarez to come up with a winning combination and wear down the big Russian late.
Prediction: Alvarez by late-round TKO.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will try to win a world title in a fourth division on Saturday when he takes on Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev for the WBO light heavyweight belt.
Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs), the biggest star in boxing, is jumping up two weight classes after a highly successful run in the middleweight ranks. Alvarez will be at a disadvantage in height, reach and weight when he and Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) step between the ropes at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, but his skill, speed and defensive ability have most experts backing him to win the bout.
Ring Magazine rounded up 20 expert predictions for the bout. Eighteen are in favor of Alvarez, while just two are picking Kovalev. The dissenters are manager Vadim Kornilov and Now Boxing Promotions' Cameron Dunkin.
Kornilov has Kovalev winning by TKO, Dunkin on points. Dunkin believes Kovalev's jab will see him through, noting "GGG landed so many jabs on Canelo and [Kovalev is] so much bigger than Canelo."
A steady onslaught of heavy jabs from a natural 175-pounder could prevent Alvarez from getting to the body, which he has said will be part of his strategy for defeating Kovalev, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.
Boxer-turned-analyst Andre Ward has beaten Kovalev twice and is backing Alvarez to do the same, although he doesn't think it will be easy. In a video for FightHype.com, Ward said Canelo will have to "be in the lion's den" to succeed, but he ultimately said, "If I had to choose, I'm going to go with Canelo late."
ESPN.com's Andres Ferrari solicited several opinions on the bout. Like the Ring roundup, the group heavily favored the 29-year-old Mexican superstar, with 11 experts picking him and just two going for the 36-year-old underdog.
ESPN UK's Nick Parkinson believes Alvarez will target the midsection, and fans should "look for Canelo's crunching body shots to hurt Kovalev and possibly leave the judges' redundant."
ESPN's Teddy Atlas believes Kovalev's difficult TKO win over Anthony Yarde in August might hurt him, saying the lack of recovery time "can be a recipe for disaster." Atlas thinks Alvarez will score a knockout.
Welterweight boxer Danny Garcia is backing Alvarez to win, but he thinks the Mexican will pay a price for it.
"That's a dangerous fight [for Canelo] because of the size," said Garcia, per Sean Jones of BoxingNews24.com. "Kovalev can punch. I can see Canelo winning a close decision, but I think he's going to get hurt in that fight. I think he'll get stunned by the third or fourth round and come back."
The odds also favor Alvarez. According to Caesars (as of Friday, Nov. 1), Alvarez is a -450 favorite (bet $100 to win $22.22), while Kovalev is at +360 (bet $100 to win $360).
Kovalev's paths to a big upset appear limited. He's unlikely to outbox Alvarez, who is quicker and a phenomenal counterpuncher. If the big Russian is going to pull this off, it will most likely be that Alvarez has overextended himself by moving up to 175 pounds and Krusher has enough power to clobber his undersized opponent.
If Kovalev defies the odds and the pundits on Saturday, it would be the signature victory of his career. Alvarez is an incredible, all-around talent in his prime, while Kovalev is an aging bruiser with a suspect body.
The power and size are in his favor, but he has to hope it's enough. Alvarez has shown his chin might be impossible to crack. On top of that, he's a calculating, brilliant boxer who is going to be fully prepared once he gets in the ring. When it comes to outfoxing his opponents, Alvarez has proved himself to be an expert.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has a new division to conquer.
Having established his supremacy at middleweight with wins over Gennady Golovkin, Rocky Fielding and Danny Jacobs, Alvarez is testing himself at light heavyweight. On Saturday, he will battle Sergey "Krusher" Kovalev for the WBO world light heavyweight title at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs), who stands just 5'8", is taking a significant risk by moving up to 175 pounds. While he showed that he can withstand some hellish punches in his two fights against Golovkin, the added weight just means that much more force and pressure, whether it's in the form of a punch or a leaning fighter in a clinch.
His introduction to the light heavyweight division comes against Kovalev (34-3-1 29 KOs), who is getting on in his years but has earned the nickname of Krusher with 29 stoppages in 38 career fights.
Kovalev, 36, appeared to be on the downslope of his career after losing to Eleider Alvarez in August 2018, but he has crafted a resurgence in 2019. He beat Alvarez by decision in a rematch and then stopped Anthony Yarde in August. A little more than two months later, he has the opportunity to get the defining win of his career against a generational talent he will tower over in the ring.
Alvarez vs. Kovalev Fight Info
When: Saturday, Nov. 2 at 9 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas
Live stream: DAZN (subscription required)
TV: Sky Sports Action (UK only)
Odds: Alvarez -500 (bet $500 to win $100), Kovalev +400 (bet $100 to win $400)
Odds courtesy of Caesars and updated as of Thursday, Oct. 31 at 7 a.m. ET.
Alvarez is making a 15-pound jump in weight class, confident that his skill and technique will see him through to a victory (and presumably a few more). The 29-year-old has proved he has few, if any, weaknesses. He can counter, string combinations, take a hit, fight close or at a distance. There are several ways in which Canelo can beat Kovalev on Saturday, but he sees one of them as crucial to a victory.
According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, the Mexican superstar plans to use his trademark left hook to attack Kovalev's body, which he sees as a weakness:
"Without a doubt. It's one of the most important punches for any fighter, and not just in this fight, in all fights. But, of course, even more so with this fighter because that's a weak point that he has. So we're going to try to penetrate with the impact to the body."
Kovalev has appeared vulnerable to body punches in the past. In losses to Eleider Alvarez and Andre Ward, the Russian took incredible punishment to the midsection, although he disputes the legality of the hits he suffered in his stoppage-loss to Ward, telling Rafael they were low blows.
If Alvarez does try to set up power punches to the body, he will risk some return fire in the process. While Alvarez will have the benefit of not having to cut weight ahead of this fight, he will still face a significant size and power disadvantage between the ropes. Kovalev is four inches taller than Alvarez and has a longer reach (72 ½" to 70 ½", per BoxRec).
He will have to make this a rough, physical match to succeed, but he also can't simply walk down a great counter-puncher like Alvarez. Nor can he match his quickness. He will need to do much more than that to stymie his world-class opposition. His trainer, Buddy McGirt, believes Kovalev is skillful enough to shock the world.
"If he does what I know he can do, he's going to surprise a lot of people," McGirt said of Kovalev, per Yahoo Sports' Kevin Iole. "Not me. He's not going to surprise me because I know he's going to win the fight. But I know in my heart if he does what I know he can do and he puts it all together Saturday, which I know he will do, everybody is going to be in for a shock."
Alvarez, however, doesn't face too many surprises in the ring. He prepares himself for each challenge and has an incredible team supporting him. It's why he's able to beat guys like Golovkin, Jacobs and Miguel Cotto. Saturday's bout presents a new challenge for Alvarez, but he's solved them before.
Canelo Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev are finalizing a deal for a Nov. 2 bout with the latter fighter's WBO light heavyweight title on the line, according to Mike Coppinger of The Athletic.
If the agreement is completed, DAZN will stream the bout, which will occur in Las Vegas. Per Coppinger, the current venue is unknown, but it won't be in T-Mobile Arena with the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights playing at home that evening.
Alvarez, who is ranked as BoxRec's top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, holds the WBA (super), WBC, The Ring and lineal middleweight titles. He'll have to jump two weight classes for this fight.
The 29-year-old holds a 52-1-2 professional record, with his only loss occurring against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013.
Alvarez's last victory came against Daniel Jacobs via unanimous decision in a middleweight title fight on May 4.
The 36-year-old Kovalev sports a 34-3-1 record and most recently knocked out Anthony Yarde to retain his WBO and EBP light heavyweight titles on August 24.
A few experts provided their early takes on the fight, including boxing writer Adam Abramowitz and light heavyweight fighter Andre Ward (who beat Kovalev twice).
"I don't have a definite answer, but I can see Canelo stopping him, man," Ward told Keith Idec of Boxing Scene.
"But the only question is how is he gonna get through the reach consistently enough? And then, if he goes up to [175], how much weight is he gonna put on? Is he gonna try to bulk [up]? Is that gonna slow him down? Is he gonna be a target now? I've got more questions than answers right now, so I don't know. ... I can see him stopping Kovalev. If he can get inside and stay inside, it's gonna be a problem."
Kovalev is BoxRec's No. 11 pound-for-pound fighter.
Sergey Kovalev needs a win in a bad way on Saturday night if he is to resurrect his flagging career. "Krusher" is 2-3 in his last five fights, and he will be looking to get back to championship status in his rematch with Eleider Alvarez at the Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas.
Last time out, Alvarez knocked Kovalev down three times in the seventh round to claim a TKO-win and earn the WBO world light heavyweight title he will be putting on the line Saturday. In case you forgot, or haven't seen it yet, here's a quick recap:
Kovalev was the champion in that match and, even with his two losses to Andre Ward not long behind him, still considered one of the most fearsome boxers around. But the undefeated Alvarez knocked Kovalev out of the pantheon, establishing himself as a fighter to be reckoned with in the process.
Kovalev, 35, doesn't have much time left to re-establish himself as a preeminent boxer, and it's possible he won't get a chance at all, win or lose. He faces a felony assault charge from a June 2018 incident, two months before the Alvarez loss, where he allegedly punched a woman in the face.
The rematch could turn out to be another blockbuster win for Alvarez.
Here's how to watch.
Alvarez vs. Kovalev Fight Info
When: Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. PT, 12 a.m. ET
Where: Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas
TV: BoxNation (UK only)
Live Stream: ESPN+, BoxNation.com (UK only)
Odds: Alvarez -175 (bet $175 to win $100), Kovalev +145 (bet $100 to win $145)
It wasn't all that long ago Kovalev was the dominant, world-beating force at light heavyweight. The slugger brutalized his opponents, at one point stopping 12 of 13 opponents, the only exception being a decision win against the great Bernard Hopkins. And then came the Ward fights.
Kovalev lost the first fight against Ward in November 2016. He managed to knock Ward down in the second round, only to fade late, allowing Ward to pick up a close unanimous decision that some might argue should've gone to Krusher.
In the rematch, it was again back-and-forth until the eighth round, where a stunning right hand to the jaw and some bruising punches right at the belt-line proved to be too much for Kovalev to handle. The referee waved it off with Kovalev slumped against the ropes, exhausted and broken.
So Kovalev had lost twice, but not terribly so, and this is Ward we're talking about. Maybe Kovalev was still a boxing god, but more like Hephaestus, working with a hammer but still slightly imperfect, and he had picked a fight with Zeus.
A couple of stoppage wins led Kovalev to that loss to Alvarez, and now he looks like he belongs nowhere near boxing's current Olympus.
Alvarez might not have the same level of fame as Kovalev, but he is a menacing fighter in his own right. He's yet to take a loss, and he has beaten tough fighters like Jean Pascal, Lucian Bute and Isaac Chilemba. The 34-year-old Colombian has staked his claim to fame beating Kovalev, but it doesn't mean he's necessarily the better boxer. Ward doesn't think so.
"Alvarez is not a better fighter than Sergey Kovalev," Ward said, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. "But he's got heart. He's got momentum. And he's emboldened."
The boxing world will find out what, if anything, Kovalev has left to offer at the top level on Saturday night. If Alvarez beats him handily, Kovalev's time as a championship contender is all but over.
But then the next question will arise: What does Alvarez really have to offer? He will still have only defended his title once. It will take much more than that to reach the pantheon.
Odds are courtesy of OddsShark and updated as of Thursday, Jan. 31, at 7 a.m. ET.
