Anderson Silva stops Tyron Woodley on Jake Paul’s Miami card

Anderson Silva stopped Tyron Woodley in the second round of a cruiserweight bout Friday night at the Kaseya Center in Miami, delivering an uppercut and a string of right hands that sent Woodley to the canvas. The former UFC star rose at the eight-count, returned to his corner and touched gloves with Silva as the round neared its end, but the referee ultimately halted the bout to award Silva the victory by technical knockout on the card promoted by Jake Paul.

Friday’s card, which featured Jake Paul against Anthony Joshua, highlighted the growing crossover appeal of boxing events built around high-profile athletes from other sports. The bout between Silva and Woodley served as a marquee co-feature on a show that drew significant attention to the arena in downtown Miami. The knockout result extended Silva’s boxing résumé and added another moment to Paul’s evolving promotional platform.

Silva, a 50-year-old former UFC legend, improved to 4-2 in professional boxing. He has losses on his ledger to Jake Paul and Osmar Luiz Teixeira, among others, but has also earned wins over opponents who were well outside their combat-sport primes. Woodley, 43, fell to 0-3 as a professional boxer, with losses on his record against Paul twice and now Silva in this exhibition-format bout. The quick conclusion in the second round underscored the challenge for former mixed martial artists trying to translate their skills to the boxing ring, even as the fan interest remains high.

The fight took place on Paul’s card against Joshua at the Kaseya Center in Miami, a pairing that has produced one of the sport’s most persistent narrative arcs this year: a social-media-era figure promoting while fighting. Paul has campaigned for bigger names and bigger cards, touting his own mixed results in the ring. His access to top-tier opponents has not come without controversy, and the undercard including Silva-Woodley has helped blur the lines between traditional boxing and celebrity-driven exhibitions. Paul’s own boxing ledger includes one loss on the record, reportedly to Tommy Paul, though he has also logged high-profile triumphs, including a widely publicized and televised victory over Mike Tyson in a spectacle last year and a win over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in recent outings.

In the immediate aftermath, Silva called out Chris Weidman, signaling ongoing negotiations for future opponents or potential cross-promotional ventures in what has become a hallmark of his post‑UFC career. The veteran’s performance drew praise for his speed and accuracy in the ring, even as questions linger about the long-term durability of aging champions attempting lengthy runs in boxing.

Woodley, for his part, remains without a win in professional boxing, a fact that has followed him since his foray into the sport. The former UFC welterweight champion has faced high-profile stand-ins and social-media-driven prospects, but the results so far have not produced the sustained success needed to reframe his post-MMA career. Analysts point to the difference in experience and approach when adapting to boxing specifics—from footwork and range management to punching pacing and defense—and note that Woodley’s path forward will depend on the choices he and his team make about opponent selection and conditioning.

As the night concluded, fans left with a sense that the sport’s crossover trend remains vibrant, with promoters banking on marquee names from MMA and entertainment to drive attention and gate revenue. The long-term impact on how boxing markets itself and how fighters from other disciplines view timelines for peak performance remains to be seen, but the Miami event gave another data point in favor of cross-promotion as a viable model for attracting a broader audience.

The next steps for Silva and Woodley remain unclear. Silva’s victory adds a notable stamp to a boxing career that continues to defy some expectations about age and specialization, while Woodley will likely reassess his training approach and scheduling as he looks for a return to form in future bouts. For Paul’s promotion, the card’s ability to draw attention and generate headlines—while showcasing a rising star in Joshua and marquee names like Silva—suggests that cross-promotion will continue to be a defining feature of the latest wave of boxing events.