Turns out Anderson Silva vs. Tito Ortiz was not a sanctioned pro fight after all

Anderson Silva vs. Tito Ortiz wasn’t a sanctioned bout, making the knockout finish unofficial.

Tito Ortiz’s boxing debut against Anderson Silva ended with a brutal knockout loss, but it turns out the fight won’t officially count towards his professional boxing record.

Boxing reporter Dan Rafael was among the first to report the news that the Silva vs. Ortiz fight, after being advertised as an official bout, ended up being counted as an exhibition. The fight was supposed to last up to eight rounds but ended up finishing in a matter of seconds.

Silva showed his boxing experience in the ring from the opening bell, bobbing and weaving through an aggressive Ortiz’s punches on the ropes. Silva would then land a hard counter right-hook followed by a left hand that sent Ortiz collapsing to the canvas.

Silva vs. Ortiz wasn’t the only fight on the Evander Holyfield vs. Vitor Belfort card that ended up being an exhibition after originally getting booked as an official bout. David Haye’s win over Joe Fournier also ended up not counting as an official contest.

Anderson Silva knocked out Tito Ortiz seconds into their boxing match

Silva’s knockout over Ortiz would’ve been his second official boxing win this year, after edging out Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. just months ago. This after making the full-time transition from MMA to boxing after a long, successful career as a UFC legend.

As for Ortiz, it’s unclear as to whether or not he’ll box again anytime soon. Following his loss to Silva, he called out Logan Paul on social media for a matchup between winless boxers.

After such a quick finish, Silva may fight in another boxing match before year’s end. This fascinating chapter in Silva’s career may be one of his best yet, despite his win over Ortiz not officially counting towards his record.