Nobuyuki Sakakibara, president of RIZIN Fighting Federation, has confirmed ongoing discussions with former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva for his retirement bout in the Japanese MMA organization.
“Anderson has fought for us – our relationship goes way back.” – Nobuyuki Sakakibara
Sakakibara, previously the head of PRIDE during Silva’s stint where he achieved a 3-2 record, expressed the organization’s open doors for Silva’s potential final fight in MMA. Follow your favourite MMA star with attractive MMA betting odds from Nextbet.
“Our doors are always open for the former UFC middleweight champion if he decides to compete one final time in MMA.” – Nobuyuki Sakakibara
Silva, absent from MMA since parting ways with the UFC in 2020, expressed interest in concluding his career in Japan, citing his international career beginnings there.
“I started my career internationally there, so we probably want to end it there, too.” – Anderson Silva
While Silva’s recent ventures included boxing victories and a decision loss to Jake Paul, RIZIN remains open to facilitating his retirement fight, keeping discussions ongoing for a possible collaboration.
“If the opportunity is there and if it makes sense, we’re always open to making things happen.” – Nobuyuki Sakakibara
RIZIN’s commitment to providing a platform for legendary fighters to bid farewell with respect remains strong, with Sakakibara hinting at the potential for other icons, like Fedor Emelianenko, to have their final fights in Japan.
“One of our concepts that RIZIN has is to provide a platform for legendary fighters to perform their final fight, to kind of show them the way out with respect.” – Nobuyuki Sakakibara
Amidst these discussions, RIZIN gears up for its upcoming event on December 31 in Saitama, Japan, featuring two title bouts – Kyoji Horiguchi vs. Makoto Shinryu for the vacant flyweight strap and Juan Archuleta defending his bantamweight title against Kai Asakura in the co-main event of RIZIN 45. Get the latest updates from the world of MMA only on Nextbet Sports.
