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Anderson Silva may be an MMA legend, but he finds himself at the start of a potentially burgeoning boxing career that stops off at Tito Ortiz this Sunday.
Anderson Silva vs. Tito Ortiz picks, predictions
After exiting the UFC following a 1-7 (1 No Contest) skid, Anderson Silva found new life in the boxing ring. Lacing up the gloves for the first time since 2005, Silva made a good account of himself earlier this year when he bested former WBC world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
This time around, Silva won’t have such an experienced boxer standing across from him. Making his professional debut as a boxer, Tito Ortiz has not been a happy camper in the lead up to this contest as he regularly expressed frustrations in the bout’s contracted 195 lb-catchweight limit.
Unsurprisingly, Ortiz did not make the 195lb limit and instead opted to forfeit 20% of his purse to Silva while weighing in at 200 lbs. Silva, meanwhile, tipped the scales at 192.6 lbs.
Although it is reasonable to wish that this fight happened a decade ago in an MMA cage when both of these fighters were surging professionals in the sport, I believe the potential entertainment value of this contest is being undersold. While it may not serve as a standard of the highest tier of boxing, we are likely to see Silva putting his best effort forward against a gamey and experienced Ortiz.
“The Huntington Beach Bad Boy”, known for his wrestling acumen, does possess a decent right hand that has aided in dispatching of foes such as Ryan Bader and Chuck Liddell, but is expected to find himself outmatched against the Brazilian Silva.
According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Ortiz is resting as a +550 underdog heading into this contest. Ortiz has the deck stacked against him in a boxing match against a downright superior striker in Silva, who is -800. Between the fact that Ortiz struggled to even make it down to 200 lbs by weigh-in time and the disparity in boxing ability between these two men, I expect another decent showing from Silva.
Although a stoppage may be a lot to ask for in a contest featuring two 46 year old men, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ortiz fade down the stretch as Silva hustles another victory to add to his boxing resume.