LOS ANGELES — Mixed martial arts great Anderson Silva has agreed to take on veteran boxer Julio César Chávez Jr. in an eight-round light heavyweight boxing match June 19 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
The $39.95 pay-per-view card also will include a six-round exhibition bout between 58-year-old Julio César Chávez Sr. and 42-year-old Héctor Camacho Jr., organizers told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The 46-year-old Silva is one of the most accomplished fighters in MMA history, but the long-reigning UFC middleweight champion has won just one of his last nine bouts since 2012. UFC released him from his promotional contract late last year.
The 35-year-old Chávez Jr. (52-5-1, 34 KOs) held the WBC middleweight title for 15 months during an 18-year professional career abetted by his father’s fame and adoration in their native Mexico. Chávez Jr. lost every round on every judge’s card when he fought Canelo Álvarez in 2017.
While Silva and Chávez Jr. attempt to capitalize on fans’ interest in MMA fighters taking crossover bouts ever since Conor McGregor fought Floyd Mayweather in 2017, Chávez Sr. is making a play for the boxing audience attracted by Mike Tyson’s exhibition bout against Roy Jones Jr. late last year.
The elder Chávez hasn’t fought professionally since 2005, when he wrapped up a 115-bout career that included world titles in three weight classes. He is one of the most popular athletes in Mexican history, and he has fought exhibition bouts for charity over the past decade.
Camacho Jr. is 59-7-1 in the ring, with his most recent bout in 2019. His father, Héctor “Macho” Camacho, famously lost a unanimous decision to Chávez Sr. for the WBC light welterweight title in 1992.
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
