LAS VEGAS — One of the most iconic chapters in mixed martial arts history will likely come to an end as Anderson Silva makes his final walk to the UFC’s Octagon.
Silva (34-10), who faces Uriah Hall (15-9) at UFC Fight Night, has been noncommittal as to whether he will officially retire at the promotion’s Apex facility on Saturday night, but he has acknowledged it will likely be his final fight in the UFC. UFC president Dana White has promoted the 185-pound contest as Silva’s swan song with the promotion.
The 45-year-old Brazilian has enjoyed a legendary career, particularly in the UFC. He signed with the company in 2006 and won his first 16 bouts. He held the middleweight title from 2006 to 2013 and was widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet during much of that stretch.
Emotions figure to run high as the UFC potentially closes the door on the Silva Era. Silva will be seeking his first win since February 2017.
Hall has had multiple fights canceled since his last bout in last September. He moved into the Fortis MMA gym on April 10 and was scheduled to fight on April 18, but his bout was canceled when Jacare Souza tested positive for COVID-19. Hall has won three of his last four fights.
Also on the card is an all-action matchup between Bryce Mitchell and Andre Fili. A win by Mitchell would make him the sixth fighter to start his UFC career 5-0 at featherweight.
Brett Okamoto, Marc Raimondi and Jeff Wagenheim provide recaps and analysis of all the action in Las Vegas.
Fight in progress:
Men’s bantamweight: Miles Johns (10-1, 1-1 UFC, -165) vs. Kevin Natividad (9-1, 0-0 UFC, +145)
Still to come:
Middleweight: Uriah Hall (16-9, 8-7 UFC, -230) vs. Anderson Silva (34-10 1 NC, 17-6 1 NC UFC, +190))
Men’s featherweight: Andre Fili (21-7, 9-6 UFC, +125) vs. Bryce Mitchell (13-1, 4-0 UFC, -145)
Middleweight: Kevin Holland (19-5, 6-2 UFC) vs. Charlie Ontiveros (11-6, 0-0 UFC)
Heavyweight: Maurice Greene (9-5, 4-2 UFC, +260) vs. Greg Hardy (6-2 1 NC, 3-2 1 NC UFC, -320)
Lightweight: Bobby Green (27-10-1, 8-5-1 UFC, -320) vs. Thiago Moisés (13-4, 2-2 UFC, +260)
Lightweight: Chris Gruetzemacher (14-3, 1-2 UFC, +340) vs. Alexander Hernandez (11-3, 3-2 UFC, -420)
Men’s bantamweight: Adrian Yanez (11-3, 0-0 UFC, -440) vs. Victor Rodriguez (7-2, 0-0 UFC, +350)
Middleweight: Sean Strickland (20-3, 7-3 UFC, -350) vs. Jack Marshman (23-9, 3-4 UFC, +285)
Welterweight: Cole Williams (11-2, 0-1 UFC, +120) vs. Jason Witt (17-6, 0-1 UFC, -140)
Light heavyweight: Dustin Jacoby (12-5, 0-0 UFC, -370) vs. Justin Ledet (9-3, 3-3 UFC, +300)