Journalist says fight between Wanderlei Silva and Acelino Popó will be an exhibition; Event denies

Wanderlei Silva (left) faces Acelino Popó (right) at Spaten Fight Night 2. Photo: Reproduction/SUPER LUTAS Edition

*ATTENTION! The news has been updated*

The long-awaited boxing match between Wanderlei Silva and Acelino “Popó” Freitas, which will take place at Spaten Fight Night 2, will not be official. According to information released by the North American website MMA fighting, the clash between the sporting legends will be held in an exhibition format.

Initially, Wanderlei had been scheduled to face Vitor belfort in a professional fight, but his rival had to be removed from the card after suffering two concussions in training. With the change, "The Mad Dog" will now have to adjust to the 95kg weight limit, while Popó is expected to step into the ring at around 73kg, a difference of more than 20kg between the athletes.

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A Brazilian boxing idol, Popó retired with a record of 41 wins and only two losses, 34 by knockout, and world titles in the super featherweight and lightweight divisions. At 50, the Bahia native has remained active in exhibition fights against influencers and even MMA and boxing veterans.

Scheduled for September 27th in São Paulo, Spaten Fight Night 2 marks the beer brand's second foray into the world of fighting. The first edition, held in June 2024, was headlined by Anderson Silva e Chael Sonnen in another exhibition duel.

Despite the friendly nature of the Wanderlei-Popo bout, the card will also feature official fights. Beatriz Ferreira defends the IBF lightweight world title against Maira Moneo, while Hebert Conceição faces Yamaguchi Falcão for the Brazilian super middleweight title.

*Update*

After the article was published, the communications team of Spaten Fight Night contacted the SUPER FIGHTS to inform that the duel between Acelino Popó Freitas and Wanderlei Silva will be played as 'Special Fight, that are oficiais, valid e supervised by the CNB (National Boxing Council)

The fights'Special Fight' they do not qualify as amateur or professional boxing, but they are added to the cartel in a separate tab, which are official and have specific rules.