Ex-UFC fighter Uriah Hall to box former NFL standout Le'Veon Bell on Paul vs. Silva undercard
There’s no way you had this on your 2022 MMA Bingo card: Former UFC standout and “The Ultimate Fighter 17” winner Uriah Hall has signed on for a boxing match against former NFL standout running back Le'Veon Bell.
The fight will take place Oct. 29 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Ariz., as part of the Showtime pay-per-view event headlined by Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva. Most Valuable Promotions, which is co-promoting the event, announced the booking Thursday.
Hall vs. Bell will be a four-round professional fight contested at cruiserweight (195 pounds).
NFL star running back Le’Veon Bell & elite UFC striker Uriah Hall will face off as part of the MVP SHOWTIME PPV event headlined by Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva.
Bell and Hall will be making their pro boxing debuts in a 4 round cruiserweight bout contracted at 195lbs. #PaulSilva pic.twitter.com/rVenh8byEo
— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) October 6, 2022
Hall, 38, announced his retirement from MMA in October after a nine-year, 19-fight run in the UFC. His last fight took place July 2 at UFC 276, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Andre Muniz for his second consecutive loss.
In order for Hall to compete at the Showtime event, he would have had to have been granted permission by the UFC or ended his contract with the promotion.
Bell, 30, was a two-time first-team All-Pro running back with the Pittsburgh Steelers who played nine seasons in the NFL, including eight games in 2021 with the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bell made his boxing debut Sept. 10 when he defeated fellow former NFL running back Adrian Peterson by fifth-round TKO in an exhibition fight.