Tyron Woodley Vows To 'Hurt' Anderson Silva In Boxing Match

UFC legends Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva are set to throw down on the main card of Jake Paul vs. Anthony Joshua next month in Miami ... and Woodley tells TMZ Sports that while he has respect for The Spider, the plan is to "hurt him" good in the ring.

We chopped it up with the former UFC welterweight champion after it was announced he would be stepping in to replace Chris Weidman against Silva ... and he told us that even though George St-Pierre was his number one dream fight, this is the next best opportunity.

"When this opportunity came about, you know, this is how a legend is made," Woodley said. "People talk about legacy, legacy, legacy, but they play it safe all the time. And I'm not playing it safe."

The 43-year-old said this all came together during a recent trip to London, when he was hanging with Michael "Venom" Page. While there, Paul's manager, Nakisa Bidarian, asked him to meet at a hookah lounge in the city.

"Got to this lounge, he offered me to fight against Anderson Silva," Woodley said.

"We needed to get the money on point. And then walked out of there hookah lounge, smiling because I'm about to beat a legend."

Woodley said Paul stepping up to fight Joshua inspired him more to take this fight ... saying, "I'm the one that's supposed to be the real fighter, so we're gonna let them outdo us?"

"Nah, dog, let's do it," he said.

"Anderson, love you, brother, but I'm about to step, not only step on the Spider, I'm a step and squish and twist on the Spider."