Anderson Silva, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history, has begun the process of becoming a police officer in California. The 50-year-old UFC Hall of Famer revealed the plan after knocking out fellow former champion Tyron Woodley in a December 19 boxing match, telling interviewer Ariel Helwani he was heading "right now" into police academy training. He has since shared footage of himself in tactical gear, running shooting drills and hands-on operational exercises with the Los Angeles Police Department.
It is not a sudden whim. Silva first expressed interest in law enforcement back in 2014, and now frames it as a way to give back to the United States, where he has lived for years. "That's the one part in my life where I need to give something back," he said.
Silva, nicknamed "The Spider," ruled the UFC middleweight division for a record 2,457 days with 10 title defenses. He left the UFC in 2020 but has continued boxing, making the pivot to policing one of the more unexpected second acts in combat sports.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, Sherdog, Lowkick MMA.
Anderson Silva, widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters in mixed martial arts history, has begun the process of becoming a police officer in California. The 50-year-old UFC Hall of Famer revealed the plan after knocking out fellow former champion Tyron Woodley in a December 19 boxing match, telling interviewer Ariel Helwani he was heading "right now" into police academy training. He has since shared footage of himself in tactical gear, running shooting drills and hands-on operational exercises with the Los Angeles Police Department.
It is not a sudden whim. Silva first expressed interest in law enforcement back in 2014, and now frames it as a way to give back to the United States, where he has lived for years. "That's the one part in my life where I need to give something back," he said.
Silva, nicknamed "The Spider," ruled the UFC middleweight division for a record 2,457 days with 10 title defenses. He left the UFC in 2020 but has continued boxing, making the pivot to policing one of the more unexpected second acts in combat sports.
Sources: Yahoo Sports, Sherdog, Lowkick MMA.
