UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva reveals he’ll “never retire” ahead of 50th birthday: “I’m not done fighting”

UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva believes he will never retire from fighting.

‘The Spider’ hasn’t been seen in action since an exhibition boxing match against Chael Sonnen last June. That night saw the two former rivals have a largely civil five-round bout, a stark contrast to their fights in the cage. Prior to the bout, Anderson Silva revealed that his trilogy bout against ‘The American Gangster’ will be his final time fighting in Brazil.

While Anderson Silva publicly teased a retirement fight for late 2024, that bout never came to fruition. Having not competed in a professional bout since his unanimous decision loss to Jake Paul in October 2022, many fans likely assumed the Brazilian quietly retired from fighting. However, that’s not the case at all.

Speaking in a recent appearance on The Art of Ward Podcast, ‘The Spider’ reflected on his Hall of Fame career. During the interview, Anderson Silva was asked about retiring from fighting. Just weeks away from his 50th birthday, the Brazilian has no plans of ever hanging up the gloves for good.

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(via Esther Lin/Showtime)

UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva says he will “never” retire from fighting

Instead, the 49-year-old believes he’ll never truly retire from fighting. In the interview with Andre Ward, Anderson Silva stated that he still trains daily, and it’s hard for him to see that changing. While he doesn’t expect Dana White to pick up the phone and call him for a UFC return, ‘The Spider’ believes he’ll always be a competitor. All he needs is a little bit of notice.

“I [am] never [retiring].” Anderson Silva stated during the discussion with former boxing champion Andre Ward. “I train every day. Physical training every day, two days a week I train Jiu-Jitsu, and yesterday I trained in boxing, and also Muay Thai. You know the special forces in the Army? That’s the same [with me], I’m ready.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

He concluded, “I just need a few things. I just need a ‘where’, an opponent, and the weight. I train every day… I’m not done fighting.”

What do you make of these comments from the former UFC middleweight champion? Do you want to see Anderson Silva fight again?