Anderson Silva stops Tyron Woodley in second round on Jake Paul card in Miami

Anderson Silva stopped Tyron Woodley in the second round of their cruiserweight boxing bout Friday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami, delivering an uppercut and a flurry of punches that left Woodley on the canvas. Woodley rose after an eight-count, returned to his corner and touched gloves with Silva as the bell sounded to end the round, but the referee signaled the stoppage and ruled the fight a technical knockout in Silva’s favor.

Silva, 50, improved to 4-2 in boxing, with losses to Jake Paul and Osmar Luiz Teixeira on his record. Woodley, 43, slipped to 0-3 as a professional boxer, including two losses to Paul in their four-bout run of exhibitions and sanctioned fights. The fight was the featured undercard on Paul’s card against Anthony Joshua at the Kaseya Center in Miami, a card that sought to blend crossover appeal with legitimate boxing demands and showcase several high-profile MMA names trying their hand in a different combat sport.

The fight on the card underscored the continuing trend of mixed martial artists testing themselves in boxing, drawing fans who tune in for crossovers as much as for traditional matchups. Paul’s event in Miami positioned him as a central figure in a burgeoning space where fans seek bold, unpredictable bouts featuring familiar names from different disciplines. The night also featured Paul’s own bout against Anthony Joshua, a marquee matchup that drew significant attention to see whether Paul could translate his social-media-driven fame into a win over a longtime world champion.

In the wake of the result, Silva’s postfight target appeared to be Chris Weidman, the former UFC middleweight champion, though any immediate fight terms were not announced on Friday. Silva has, in recent years, chased opportunities beyond the UFC, stepping into boxing as a way to extend his competitive career while continuing to attract a broad audience that followed his long MMA run. Woodley, meanwhile, left Miami with another loss on his boxing ledger, part of a challenging stretch that has seen him explore new combat sports avenues after his MMA career.

For Paul, the night emphasized the continued appeal of boxing crossovers on a card built around his own mission to establish legitimacy in the sport while capitalizing on his significant audience. He has moved past some high-profile wins—including a victory over Julio César Chávez Jr. and a visually entertaining bout against Mike Tyson in a spectacle—while also absorbing a lone setback in a fight labeled as part of a broader entertainment strategy rather than a pristine, pure boxing competition. The dynamic has helped define a new niche where athletes from different arenas test themselves under bright lights and large pay-per-views, even as purists scrutinize the competitiveness of such matchups.

Silva’s age and past decade of MMA dominance have only added to the intrigue surrounding his boxing pursuits. At 50, he joins a growing list of veteran mixed martial artists who have pursued post-UFC life in the squared circle, often earning outsized attention for their charisma and technique. Woodley’s willingness to step into the boxing ring against a living legend on a big-stage card underscores the broader appeal of these events, even as critics point to the long-term viability and safety of crossovers.

As for the immediate landscape, the winner’s path remains uncertain. Silva indicated a possible look toward high-profile opponents outside the UFC realm, while Woodley will likely reassess his boxing trajectory after another tough outing. The two veterans, each with distinctive résumés, added another chapter to a summer and winter of crossovers that have reshaped expectations for what a mixed martial artist can accomplish inside a boxing ring.