Wanderlei Silva’s boxing clash with retired boxer Acelino Freitas will be an exhibition match, MMA Fighting has confirmed.
Silva was originally booked against longtime rival Vitor Belfort for an official boxing match in the main event of Spaten Fight Night 2 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on Sept. 27, but “The Phenom” was forced off the card after suffering two concussions in training.
The former PRIDE champion was cutting down to 205 pounds for the Belfort match, but now needs to come under the 95kg limit
(209.4 pounds) to face the experienced pugilist in an eight, two-minute rounds. Freitas should be outweighed by nearly 50 pounds, as he plans on entering the ring at 73kg (160.9 pounds).
Freitas is a former WBO and WBA super featherweight champion and two-time WBO lightweight champion who retired with a pro record of 41-2 and 34 knockouts.
“Popó”, who turns 50 this week, has been active in the ring by dominating Brazilian influencers in exhibition matches over the past few years, and is currently scheduled to face influencer Diego Alemão on Nov. 1. The highlight of Freitas’ exhibition run was a 85-second knockout over MMA veteran Jose Landi-Jons in 2022.
This event will mark beverage company Spaten’s second attempt in fight promoting. Anderson Silva and Chael Sonnen headlined the first card in June 2024 in a lackluster boxing exhibition.
Spaten Fight Night 2 will feature official boxing matches, as Beatriz Ferreira defends her IBF world lightweight title versus Maira Moneo and Hebert Conceição puts the Brazilian super middleweight belt on the line opposite Yamaguchi Falcão.
