After two decades spent solely as an MMA fighter, Wanderlei Silva is ready to take a new step in his career as a fight promoter as well. The former Pride FC middleweight champion revealed he has been talking with Bellator MMA about staging a big event in his hometown of Curitiba, with himself in the headliner.

Furthermore, Wanderlei would also like to fill out soccer stadium Arena da Baixada, the same one where UFC 198 took place. Silva believes that it’s very doable, as he explained to Gazeta do Povo.

“I’m going to be one of the headliners and I’m trying to put myself out there as a promoter, too,” Silva said. “I got the company, I got the venue, I’m in the main event. You only need to put the pieces together. You add both Pitbull brothers (Patricio Freire and Patricky Freire), who are doing well. You add our champion Rafael Carvalho and Goiti Yamauchi, who is also from Curitiba. Bellator is very interested in the Brazilian market and Curitiba would be the perfect place.”

Wanderlei Silva has been away from fighting since an unanimous decision loss to longtime rival, Chael Sonnen, at Bellator 180, in June 2017. The 41-year-old’s last win came in March 2013, when he knocked out Brian Stann at UFC on Fuel TV 8 in Japan.