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During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Anderson Silva shunned the idea of representing mixed martial arts in his upcoming boxing bout against Jake Paul.
'The Spider' hasn't competed in the UFC for almost two years, and has seemingly put his career in MMA to rest. The Brazilian has found love in and looks rejuvenated by his switch over to boxing. He defeated former WBC middleweight champion Cesar Chavez Jr. by split decision on his return to the ring.
When questioned whether he is carrying the MMA flag on his back in the forthcoming clash against Jake Paul, Anderson Silva dismissed the thought. He insisted that his career in martial arts ended with his final fight in the UFC.
"Everybody thinks in this fight I go to represent the MMA community, no. For me, it's more than that. I think I need to show more respect for the boxing community... A lot of people are talking about, 'You're representing MMA, you need to beat this guy.' I say, 'Guys, listen. [A] fight is [a] fight. I don't go putting this in my mind because anybody has [their] own journey, and my journey inside MMA stopped when it stopped inside the UFC. I don't need to represent the MMA community anymore."
Silva will step into the squared circle against 'The Problem Child' on October 29 in what is reported to be an eight-round matchup. The 25-year-old is looking to push on from his impressive knockout of Tyron Woodley and beat yet another former UFC legend next time out.
Check out what the legendary Brazilian had to say to Ariel Helwani in the video below.
Anderson Silva's legacy in the UFC
Although he suffered several losses at the end of his MMA career by claiming just one win in nine fights, Anderson Silva remains one of the greatest to ever step foot inside the octagon.
His 16-fight win-streak in the promotion earned the respect of most fans, with a large number of those largely considering him to be the greatest martial artist to ever live.
Silva made ten successful defenses of the middleweight title, is known for having the longest title reign in the promotion's history, and holds a handful of other records with the company. Throughout his 14-year UFC career, the 185lber beat huge names like Vitor Belfort, Demian Maia, Forrest Griffin, and Dan Henderson.
Do check out the video below on YouTube boxers who can take on MMA fighters:
