Anderson Silva’s coach praises him as ‘a heavyweight who moves like a lightweight’ ahead of Chael Sonnen fight

Anderson Silva meets Chael Sonnen in a boxing match on June 15 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and his longtime boxing coach Luiz Dorea guarantees Silva will deliver top performances.

The 216-pound exhibition fight is scheduled for five two-minute rounds, and Dorea told MMA Fighting that he respects Sonnen’s striking skills, but won’t be surprised if Silva stops the American.

“He’s an MMA athlete, so he’s a complete athlete,” Dorea said. ‘He has experience. Even though he doesn’t have a boxing background, he can throw punches and defend himself, has good timing, distance and experience, so we can’t underestimate him. Sonnen deserves respect for everything he has done in the sport, and Anderson is very professional in the way he approaches this match as he wants to put on a big show for the fans.”

“We know this is a contact sport because anything can happen there,” Dorea added of the fight being an exhibition. “Anderson always respects all his opponents. He is now a boxer. He did boxing for MMA, with kicks and takedowns, but we’ve been working on pure boxing for the last four or five years, so he’s a complete professional now. He’s a heavyweight who actually moves like a lightweight. That’s rare, brother.’

Silva, who defeated Sonnen twice in the UFC, moved to Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, to attend a full three-month camp at Dorea’s gym. The veteran coach believes Spaten Fight Night is the biggest boxing event ever to take place in Brazil.

Dorea said Silva joked that he plans to continue competing for another decade because boxing isn’t as damaging to the body as mixed martial arts, and that the former UFC middleweight champion doesn’t look like a 49-year-old in the gym.

“His condition is above normal,” Dorea said. “His age does not reflect reality. He is 49 but looks 10, 15 years younger. The way he moves, his notion of time and distance and how quickly he learns, his reflexes. You will see that on June 15.

“I always say the knockout comes from good hands connecting, and Anderson is ready to connect and go for the knockout. I believe Sonnen is taking care of himself because Anderson is coming into his best shape and is motivated to fight in Brazil.”