MMA

Anderson “The Spider Silva” - Former UFC Middleweight Champion

Anderson “The Spider Silva” - Former UFC Middleweight Champion
Table of content
1. Anderson Silva’s Details 2. Anderson Silva’s Biography 2.1. Anderson Silva’s Early Life 2.2. Belonged to a Poor Family 2.3. Martial Arts Training 2.4. Trained in Taekwondo, Capoeira and Muay Thai 2.5. How Silva Got Nicknamed? 2.6. Anderson Silva’s Sponsors 2.7. Personal Life 3. Anderson Silva’s MMA Career 3.1. Professional Debut 3.2. Anderson Silva’s First Loss 3.3. Nine Consecutive Wins 3.4. Shooto Middleweight Champion 3.5. Fight Against Matt Hughes 4. Anderson Silva’s Pride Fighting Championship and Cage Rage 4.1. Pride 21 and 22 4.2. Pride 25 4.3. Lost Motivation After the First Pride FC Loss 4.4. Joined Brazilian Top Team 4.5. Anderson Silva At Gladiator 2 4.6. Cage Rage Debut 4.7. Returned to Pride FC 4.8. Cage Rage 11 4.9. Defended Cage Rage Middleweight Champion Title 4.10. Cage Rage 16 4.11. Rumble on the Rock 8 4.12. Anderson Silva’s Words on Using Illegal Technique 5. Anderson Silva’s UFC Career (2006-2020) 5.1. UFC Debut 5.2. UFC Middleweight Champion 5.3. Silva’s First Title Defense Fight 5.4. UFC 73 & Second Title Defense Fight 5.5. UFC 82 5.6. UFC Fight Night 14 5.7. UFC 90 5.8. Controversy Regarding Patrick Cote 5.9. UFC 97 (First 5th round Fight) 5.10. Knockout of the Night At UFC 101 5.11. Controversy Regarding Abandoning Middleweight Belt 5.12. Suffered From Elbow Injury 5.13. Demian Maia Replaced Vitor Belfort 5.14. UFC President Became Upset on Silva’s Performance 5.15. UFC 117 5.16. Sonnen’s Strike Rate Greater Than Anderson Silva 5.17. UFC 126 and UFC 134 5.18. UFC 153 5.19. Suffered From Injury & Lost UFC’s Middleweight Title 5.20. Decision of Retirement but then Back to UFC 5.21. UFC 183 5.22. Silva Tested Positive For PEDs 5.23. UFC Fight Night 5.24. Pulled Out of UFC 198 5.25. 3 Consecutive Lost Fights 6. Anderson Silva’s Boxing Career 6.1. Fight Against Julio Cesar Chavez 6.2. Competed Against UFC Light Heavyweight Champion 6.3. Anderson Silva Vs. Jake Paul 6.4. Exhibition Fight 7. Anderson Silva’s Fighting Style 7.1. Precision and Timing 7.2. Anderson Silva’s Movements in the Octagon 7.3. Anderson Silva’s Escapes 7.4. Anderson Silva’s Mental Preparation For Fights 7.5. Signature Moves 7.6. Clinch Game 7.7. Silva’s Unique Approach to Counter Striking 7.8. Impact of Anderson Silva’s Fighting Style on MMA Culture 8. Anderson Silva’s Historic Fights 8.1. Anderson Silva Vs. Alex Stiebling 8.2. Anderson Silva Vs. Dan Henderson 8.3. Anderson Silva Vs. James Irvin 8.4. Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen 8.5. Anderson Silva Vs. Jake Paul 9. Anderson Silva’s Championships 9.1. ESPN.com 9.2. Inside MMA 9.3. MMA Live 9.4. Sherdog 9.5. Spike Guys’ Choice Awards 9.6. Sports Illustrated 9.7. World MMA Awards 9.8. Wrestling Observer Newsletter 9.9. Record 10. Anderson Silva Inducted Into the UFC Hall of Fame 10.1. Anderson Silva’s Career Highlights in the UFC 10.2. The Epic Announcement 10.3. Silva’s Reaction to the News 10.4. Legacy and Impact of Silva on UFC and MMA 11. Anderson Silva’s MMA Career Statistics 12. Anderson Silva’s MMA Professional Record Breakdown 13. Anderson Silva’s MMA Fight History 14. Anderson Silva’s Boxing Professional Record Breakdown 15. Anderson Silva’s Boxing Fight History 15.1. Exhibition Fight 16. Anderson Silva’s Pay Per View Bouts 16.1. MMA 16.2. Boxing 17. Anderson Silva’s Top Fight Links

1. Anderson Silva’s Details

Anderson Silva’s Details
Name Anderson da Silva
Nickname “The Spider”
Born São Paulo, Brazil
Date of Birth 14 April 1975
Age 48
Nationality Brazilian, American
College/University Killer Bees Muay Thai College
Last Fight Boxing No-Title Bout 29 October 2022
Last Weigh In N/A
Weight Class Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
Weight 84 Kg / 185 lbs
Height 6’2’’
Career Disclosed Earning Approximately $ 8,732,000
Fighting out of Curitiba, Brazil
Foundational Style Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing
Reach 77.9
Stance Southpaw
Rank Black Prajied in Muay Thai
3rd-Degree BJJ Black Belt
5th Dan Black Belt in Taekwondo
Yellow Rope in Capoeira
BJJ Black Belt Awarded by Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira
Trainer Boxing: Josuel Distak and Luiz Dorea
BJJ: Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira, Sylvio Behring and Ramos Lemos
Wrestling: Mark Munoz
Muay Thai: Rafael Cordeiro, Pedro Rizzo, Israel Gomez
Panantukan: Dan Inosanto
Lineage Mitsuyo Maeda > Carlos Gracie > Carlson Gracie > Ricardo De La Riva > Antonio Rodrigo Minotauro Nogueira > Anderson Silva
Team Association Chute Boxe Academy (1997 - 2003)
Muay Thai Dream Team (2003 - 2006)
Brazilian Top Team (2003 - 2006)
Black House (2007 - 2013)

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2. Anderson Silva’s Biography

Anderson Silva is a Brazilian MMA fighter. He is an active boxer who is retired from MMA. He is UFC’s former Middleweight Champion who is famous for retaining the longest title in the history of UFC, for exactly 2,457 days. His UFC career started in 2006 with 16 consecutive wins. In November 2020, Anderson Silva paused the UFC and resumed his boxing career.


In July 2023, Anderson Silva will be inducted into the Pioneer Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame.

2.1. Anderson Silva’s Early Life

Anderson Silva was born on 14 April 1975 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

2.2. Belonged to a Poor Family

Anderson Silva was born in a poor family. He is one of Juarez and Vera Lucia Da Silva’s four children. For most of his childhood, Silva lived with his uncle and aunt in Curitiba. His uncle was a Police Officer.

2.3. Martial Arts Training

As a child, Silva was fascinated by Mix Martial Art fights. And that is why he started to learn martial arts with other children of his age.

2.4. Trained in Taekwondo, Capoeira and Muay Thai

As a teenager, Silva trained in taekwondo, capoeira and muay thai. The main reason behind Anderson Silva’s fierce fighting style is his connection with his Brazilian roots.

2.5. How Silva Got Nicknamed?

When Anderson Silva used to practice capoeira, one time for a fight he wore a Spider-Man shirt. Since that day he is known as Anderson “The Spider” Silva. 

2.6. Anderson Silva’s Sponsors

Silva had a sponsorship deal with Nike and It ended in 2014 as Nike ceased to work with UFC. Since August 2011, Silva’s favorite football club, Corinthians has been sponsoring him. Burger King, the well-known fast food chain, is also one of the sponsors of Anderson Silva.

2.7. Personal Life

Silva is married to Dayane Silva. They have 5 beautiful children, three sons, and two daughters. Anderson Silva became a U.S Citizen in July 2019 after showcasing a tremendous MMA career.

3. Anderson Silva’s MMA Career

3.1. Professional Debut

Anderson Silva made his professional MMA debut in 1997. He won two fights on the same day of 25 June 1997.

3.2. Anderson Silva’s First Loss

At Mecca 1, Silva faced his first loss in 2000. He lost the fight via a unanimous decision against Luiz Azeredo.

3.3. Nine Consecutive Wins

After Silva’s first loss, he came all the way prepared for his next fight. Silva maintained a streak of nine consecutive wins. He won most of the fights via submission or knockout. After his initial defeat, he made a decision to become undefeated or not to fight at all. He has all to take that commitment at face value and he lived up to the highest levels of competitive fighting. That firm commitment resulted in his nine-fight win streak.

3.4. Shooto Middleweight Champion

After Silva’s consecutive wins, he competed at the Shooto 2 event against Tetsuji Kato in Japan. Silva won the fight via unanimous decision. Due to Silva’s success in the tournament, he was scheduled to fight against Hayato Sakurai, the Shooto Champion. At Shooto 7, Anderson Silva competed against Hayato Sakurai and won the fight via unanimous decision. Anderson Silva became the first MMA fighter who defeated Hayato Sakurai, the undefeated champion with consecutive 20-win streaks, and Shooto Middleweight Champion.

3.5. Fight Against Matt Hughes

Anderson Silva was scheduled to fight against Matt Hughes in 2002 who later became the UFC Hall of Famer and UFC Welterweight Champion. But Silva signed a contract with Pride Fighting Championship and was unable to fight Matt Hughes.

4. Anderson Silva’s Pride Fighting Championship and Cage Rage

4.1. Pride 21 and 22

After refusing to compete at UFC, Anderson Silva signed a contract with Pride FC. In the promotion fight, Silva competed against Alex Stiebling at Pride 21. Silva won the fight via Doctor Stoppage. Silva’s leg attack was so disastrous that Stiebling could not stand it and suffered from a face cut. Silva won the match in the first round.


At Pride 22, Silva competed against Alexander Otsuka and won the match via unanimous decision.

4.2. Pride 25

At Pride 25, Silva competed with the former UFC Welterweight Champion Carlos Newton. It was a highly anticipated fight. Newton tried to kick Silva on the face but due to Silva’s strong reflexes, he escaped the leg attack. Later on, Anderson Silva won the fight via flying knees and punches.

4.3. Lost Motivation After the First Pride FC Loss

At Pride 26, held on 8 June 2003, Silva faced Daiju Takase. Takase was not a strong competitor as compared to Anderson Silva. At the time of the fight, his MMA record was 4-7-0. He was called the underdog because of his fewer chances of victory. Unfortunately, Anderson Silva lost the fight via Triangle Choke.


This was a huge loss for Silva. He nearly lost his motivation for competing in MMA but was convinced by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Silva’s BJJ coach.

4.4. Joined Brazilian Top Team

Anderson Silva then left Chute Boxe Academy in 2003 and joined Brazilian Top Team. Silva then started preparing hard for his upcoming fights. He was disheartened by his first loss in Pride FC and did not want to add another lost fight to his spectacular career.

4.5. Anderson Silva At Gladiator 2

At Gladiator 2, Anderson Silva competed against Jeremy Horn and won the fight via unanimous decision on 27 June 2007.

4.6. Cage Rage Debut

At Cage Rage 8, Anderson Silva made his debut in Cage Rage By competing against Lee Murray. Silva won the fight via unanimous decision and became the “Cage Rage Middleweight Champion''.

4.7. Returned to Pride FC

After Silva’s legendary performance at the Cage Rage Championship, Silva made a comeback to Pride FC. He faced Ryo Chonan at Pride Shockwave 2004 on 31 December 2004, 3 months after his Cage Rage debut.


Unfortunately, Silva lost the fight by Flying Scissor Heel Hook submission. Chonan was infamous for being an underdog still he managed to submit the Spider in the third round. Bas Rutten and Mauro Ranallo, who were the commentators for the fight, anticipated that Silva would win the fight because of his escape and clinching game but the unexpected results shocked everyone.

4.8. Cage Rage 11

After Silva’s defeat in the Pride FC, he went for the Cage Rage Championship. He competed against Jorge Rivera at Cage Rage 11 and won the fight via knees and punches TKO in the second round.

4.9. Defended Cage Rage Middleweight Champion Title

At Cage Rage 14, Anderson Silva was all the way ready to defend his Cage Rage Middleweight Champion title. He competed against Curtis Stout and won the fight in the very first round via KO punches.


Hence, Anderson Silva proved that no power on earth can stop him from becoming an legendary MMA fighter. It was his stealth and determination that today UFC has announced to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame.

4.10. Cage Rage 16

At Cage Rage 16, Anderson Silva defended his Cage Rage Middleweight title against Tony Fryklund via knockout.

4.11. Rumble on the Rock 8

On 20 January 2006, Silva competed at the Rumble on the Rock promotion against Yushin Okami. Silva lost the fight because of using illegal kicks. The kick was declared illegal because Okami’s knees were on the ground when Silva kicked him.

4.12. Anderson Silva’s Words on Using Illegal Technique

Silva explained that he wasn’t fully aware of the legal and illegal techniques of the tournament. He stated that the rules weren’t made clear to him and that led to disastrous results.


Upon Silva’s illegal kick, Okami was given a choice either to go for the disqualification win or rematch. He chose the former and won the fight. Silva was infuriated by Okami’s decision.

“Felt it was a cheap, cowardly way of winning. People that were there saw that he was in the condition to come back and keep fighting, and he didn't.”

(Anderson Silva)

5. Anderson Silva’s UFC Career (2006-2020)

5.1. UFC Debut

In 2006, Anderson Silva signed a multi-fight contract with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Later on, UFC also announced this news and filmed an interview with Silva about his upcoming fights.


Anderson Silva made his UFC debut at Ultimate Fight Night 5. On 28 June 2006, Anderson Silva competed against Chris Leben. Leben was a tough competitor and at that time had a 15-1-0 MMA record. The fight started and Leben started attacking with a barrage of punches. At first, Silva escaped and defended against punches, and later on he went back hard. He won his first “Knockout of the Night'' award.


Silva won the fight via TKO (knee). He hit Leben with a kick and dropped him to the ground. After that Silva hit Leben with his knee and the fight was over in the very first round. It was Silva’s striking accuracy that made him victorious in the first 49 seconds of the first round with a striking accuracy of 85%.

5.2. UFC Middleweight Champion

After Silva’s first wonderful win in the UFC, a poll was conducted by UFC in which they asked their viewers to select Silva’s next opponent. The result of the poll was in the favor of UFC Middleweight Champion, Rich Franklin. Silva competed against Rich Franklin at UFC 64 on 14 October 2006. Silva showcased his excellent clinch game in the fight and won the fight via knockout with his knee strikes. And that is why Silva is famous for the excellent and on-point use of clinch. Silva is a Black Prajied in Muay Thai and learned this clinch from Muay Thai.


Silva became UFC’s Middleweight Champion after defeating Rich Franklin. He not only became a champion but retained it for a long time.

5.3. Silva’s First Title Defense Fight

Silva’s first title defense fight was against Travis Lutter at UFC 67 on 3rd February 2007. Unfortunately, Lutter was unable to make the weight so the fight was turned into a Non-Title Bout. Silva submitted Lutter to elbows and knee kicks. Silva won the fight in the second round.

5.4. UFC 73 & Second Title Defense Fight

At UFC 73, Silva competed against Nate Marquardt and won the bout in the first round via TKO punches and defended his title. At UFC 77, Silva had his second defense title fight against Rich Franklin. Silva won the title after defeating the former UFC Middleweight Champion.


Silva easily defeated Franklin the same way he had defeated him in the previous fight, by TKO knees. It felt like history was repeating itself. Silva also won his second “Knockout of the Night” award.

5.5. UFC 82

At UFC 82, Silva was scheduled to compete against Pride Middleweight Champion Dan Henderson. It was a combined fight between UFC and Pride FC. Henderson had a Greco-Roman Wrestling background so his chances of victory were predicted as greater. But little did Henderson know that Silva does not take victory as granted and knew how to earn one!


Silva submitted Dan Henderson via the famous BJJ Rear Naked Choke in the second round and successfully defended his title.

5.6. UFC Fight Night 14

At UFC Fight Night 14, Silva competed in the Light Heavyweight division of UFC against James Irvin. Silva took his time and then exploded on Irvin with force. Irvin landed a leg kick on Silva and this was the time when Silva grabbed his leg and knocked out Irvin by punches. After Silva’s terrific victory, Irvin was tested for the use of PEDs. He tested positive for using oxymorphone and methadone. Despite the use of PEDs, Irvin couldn’t stand a chance against Silva.

5.7. UFC 90

At UFC 90, it was Silva’s fourth defense title fight. Silva defeated Patrick Cote in the third round by Referee Stoppage. Cote suffered from a knee injury and wasn’t able to continue the fight and hence, the referee announced Silva as the winner.

5.8. Controversy Regarding Patrick Cote

Despite winning the fight against Patrick Cote and defending his title, Silva was called out for dodging Cote in the ring. He was blamed for not making enough contact with his opponent, which in reality was Silva's way of escaping his opponents’ attacks. Apparently UFC President Dana White wasn’t happy with Silva’s performance.

“I didn’t understand Silva’s tactics. It wasn’t the Anderson Silva I’ve been watching for the last two years.”

(UFC President Dana White)

In a post-fight interview, Anderson Silva responded by saying that he fought fairly and he has nothing to do with Cote’s injury. In the post fight interview, Silva clarified his stance by explaining his fighting methodology which was playing defensive in the start of the fight.

5.9. UFC 97 (First 5th round Fight)

UFC 97 was an exciting match not only for the MMA fighters but also for the BJJ community. Silva’s opponent, Thales Leites, was a BJJ Black Belt. Silva won the fight via unanimous decision. Thales Leites was the first fighter who took Silva to five rounds in the UFC. It was Anderson Silva’s 9th consecutive win in UFC. Dana White was still not happy with Silva. He even said that he felt “embarrassed” upon Silva’s fight but still called him “the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world”.

5.10. Knockout of the Night At UFC 101

At UFC 101, Silva competed against Forrest Griffin, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Silva won the fight via KO punches. For this fight, Silva earned “Beatdown of the Year” from “Sherdog”. Silva won “Knockout of the Night”, “Fight of the Night” and a bonus money of $60,000.

5.11. Controversy Regarding Abandoning Middleweight Belt

After the epic win at UFC 101, a reporter from Yahoo Sports claimed that Silva is going to leave his UFC Middleweight Belt and continue to compete in UFC’s Light Heavyweight category. This claim was later denied by Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, that there wasn’t any conversion in that regard.

5.12. Suffered From Elbow Injury

At UFC 108, Silva was scheduled to fight against Vitor Belfort but his manager announced that because of the injury, Silva wouldn’t be able to compete. The fight was rescheduled at UFC 109 and depended on Silva’s recovery. Later Silva explained his recovery process as “not going as planned”.


Finally, at UFC 112, Silva was all ready to fight against Vitor Belfort but unfortunately, the fight got canceled due to Belfort’s injury. Silva then competed against Demian Maia.

5.13. Demian Maia Replaced Vitor Belfort

Demian Maia replaced Vitor Belfort at UFC 112. Silva won the fight via unanimous decision. Silva was criticized for his performance in the ring. The audience was of the view that Silva was mocking Maia throughout the fight by just going round and round in the circle.

5.14. UFC President Became Upset on Silva’s Performance

Dana White was quite upset with Silva’s performance at UFC 112. He was so upset that he didn’t stay to watch the fight or to award Silva with his belt. He handed the belt to Silva’s manager, Ed Soares.


Silva literally taunted Maia. He said, “Come on, hit me in the face, playboy”. In the post-fight interview, Silva felt sorry for his behavior and apologized. He also mentioned that it was Demian Maia who first insulted him before the fight and initiated the drama.

5.15. UFC 117

At UFC 117, Silva competed against Chael Sonnen to defend his UFC Middleweight Title. In the first round, it was Sonnen who earned the dominant position and took down Silva. Sonnen's strikes were enough to make Silva go off balance. It was in the fifth round that Silva was able to submit Sonnen via BJJ Triangle Armbar. If Silva hadn’t applied the submission, there were greater chances of Sonnen’s victory via unanimous decision.

5.16. Sonnen’s Strike Rate Greater Than Anderson Silva

In that fight alone, Sonnen’s strike rate was greater than Silva’s strike rate in his whole UFC career. Hence, it was termed the most happening fight in the history of UFC and Silva. According to the figures given by CompuStrike, Silva took 208 strikes in his UFC career whereas in this fight alone Sonnen hit Silva 289 times.


Later Silva said that he fought with a broken rib and was advised to rest. Later on, it was proved by the California State Athletic Commission that Sonnen used synthetic testosterone.

5.17. UFC 126 and UFC 134

At UFC 126, Silva competed against Vitor Belfort and won the fight via KO front kick and punches. It was the barrage of punches by which Silva took down Belfort.


At UFC 134, Silva competed against Yushin Okami and won the fight via TKO punches.

5.18. UFC 153

At UFC 153, Silva competed against Stephan Bonnar and defeated him via TKO knee to the body and punches. This fight was under the light heavyweight division of the UFC.

5.19. Suffered From Injury & Lost UFC’s Middleweight Title

After UFC 153, Silva suffered from injury and decided to retire from UFC, still he competed against Chris Weidman at UFC 162. Due to fighting while suffering from an injury, Silva broke his shin bone. Silva lost the fight and his UFC Middleweight Champion Title.


After that fight, Silva had to go through surgery to heal his broken fibula and tibia. According to the UFC, Silva’s surgery was “successful” and took only three to six months to heal completely.

5.20. Decision of Retirement but then Back to UFC

Although Silva had decided to retire from UFC later on it was confirmed that he is not going anywhere. Silva even agreed on a 15-fight contract with UFC.

5.21. UFC 183

At UFC 183, Silva competed against Nick Diaz and won the fight via unanimous decision.

5.22. Silva Tested Positive For PEDs

After the fight, a drug test was conducted and Silva tested positive for the use of Drostanolone and Androstane . In February 2015, Silva tested positive for another unknown drug. Upon this result, Silva claimed that he was given a sexual enhancement drug by his friend when Silva was on a vacation.


In front of the defense committee, Silva’s team confessed that Silva had used benzodiazepines before the fight to help relax. But his team was unable to justify the reason behind androsterone intake. His bonus was taken away from him as well as his show money, approximately $380,000. His win was declared “No Contest”. He was also suspended for 1 year from the UFC.

5.23. UFC Fight Night

After Silva’s suspension, he returned to the UFC to compete against Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 84. Silva lost the fight via unanimous decision. At the end of round 3 of the fight, Bisping was referring to the referee about his lost mouthpiece while Silva attacked him with a flying knee. The fight continued and resulted in Silva’s loss. Still, both fighters were awarded the “Fight of the Night” bonus.

5.24. Pulled Out of UFC 198

At UFC 198, Silva was scheduled to fight against Uriah Hall. Silva was later pulled out of the fight because of his gallbladder surgery.

5.25. 3 Consecutive Lost Fights

After the unanimous decision win at UFC 208, Silva lost three fights in a row. At UFC 234, Silva lost the fight via unanimous decision against Israel Adesanya  . At UFC 237, Jared Cannonier defeated Silva via a TKO leg kick.


At the UFC Fight Night Hall Vs. Silva: Uriah Hall won the title fight against Anderson Silva via TKO punches. After the consecutive loss, Silva resumed his boxing career.

6. Anderson Silva’s Boxing Career

6.1. Fight Against Julio Cesar Chavez

In 2021, Anderson Silva returned to boxing. He won the fight against Julio Cesar Chavez via a split decision. Silva threw 392 punches while Chavez threw only 153.

6.2. Competed Against UFC Light Heavyweight Champion

On 11 September 2021, Silva competed against Tito Ortiz, the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Silva won the fight in the first round.

6.3. Anderson Silva Vs. Jake Paul

On 29 October 2022, Silva competed against Jake Paul, an American social media activist and professional boxer. Silva lost the fight via unanimous decision.

6.4. Exhibition Fight

Silva fought against Bruno Machado in an eight-round exhibition boxing fight in Abu Dhabi. Silva almost knocked down Machado in the fifth round but still, the fight continued and no winner was announced.

7. Anderson Silva’s Fighting Style

7.1. Precision and Timing

Anderson “the Spider” Silva is known for his precise timing when he attacks his opponents. The key point to note in his fighting style is how he covers the space between himself and his opponents and then lands his deadly punches. This timing is to be noticed when Silva’s opponent tried to punch him and Silva stepped back into Southpaw and landed a jab.


Silva is rightly famous for his precise timing. He quickly transitions from defensive to offensive mode and defeats his opponents within no time. He allows his opponents to attack him first and when they get tired then Silva comes into play.

7.2. Anderson Silva’s Movements in the Octagon

Anderson Silva is one of the most remarkable fighters MMA has ever produced. He is living proof of the saying “Age is something that doesn’t matter unless you are a cheese!” by Billie Burke. Seeing Silva in the octagon is one of the most mesmerizing views because of his efficient and fast movements. Silva moves so fast that his opponents miss the opportunity of attacking him in the first place.


He quickly transitions from saving himself from the opponents' attacks to attacking them.

7.3. Anderson Silva’s Escapes

The exceptional fighting style of Silva is his ability to escape from his opponents' punches and jabs. The credit goes to his fast pace which allowed him to get into a safe spot faster than his opponents can decipher his next move. His fight with Alex Stiebling is noteworthy in this regard.


With Alex, Silva escaped his punch and landed a shin attack which cut open Alex’s face. It feels like Silva has a sixth sense for when his opponents are about to attack him. And he smoothly escapes the attack.


Silva is a BJJ Black Belt but is famous for his standing game. Though he is proficient in ground pounding and grappling but because of his passion in boxing, he has developed a powerful standing game.

7.4. Anderson Silva’s Mental Preparation For Fights

You must have never seen Silva tensed in the octagon. It is because he never is! Silva is all smiling when he is in the octagon amidst fighters who have the ability to crush him. But those dangerous fighters always got crushed by Silva.


Silva is always both physically and mentally prepared for his fights. In his early career when Silva lost a fight, he took this defeat to another level and crushed his opponent with head kicks and punches in the next fight.


This mentality has kept the Spider on top of MMA charters.

7.5. Signature Moves

Anderson Silva’s fighting style consists of an amalgam of different disciplines. This unique mixture of Muay Thai, boxing, capoeira, taekwondo, and BJJ has granted him consecutive wins in the octagon.


The escape from opponents' punches and landing his own punch is Silva’s signature move. He rotates his upper body in a full circle to escape the punch and then makes his opponent unconscious with retaliation.

7.6. Clinch Game

Clinch is one of the most dangerous positions in MMA also known as the “double collar tie”. In this position, your hands are placed on the back of your opponent’s head from where you control his head movements and hit the opponent with your knees on his face or head.


Whenever the words “clinch game” are spoken in the MMA circle, the first person who comes to mind is none other than Anderson “The Spider” Silva. Silva restricts his opponents' heads from moving and then hits them with full force, the result was a TKO win by Doctor Stoppage.

7.7. Silva’s Unique Approach to Counter Striking

Anderson Silva is not the person whom you want to mess with especially when in the ring. Silva might not be the person who first attacked in the ring but he is definitely the person who replies to every single kick and punch you throw at him.


Even in the defensive mode, Silva portrayed his offensive fighting style and made his opponents lose their balance and wit.

7.8. Impact of Anderson Silva’s Fighting Style on MMA Culture

Anderson Silva is not just a name, he is rather a force that impacted people and the sport of Martial Arts. He is the one who brought a revolution to the world of MMA and inspired fighters that no power can stop them from earning the top position.


The main impact that Silva left is propagating the MMA culture in Brazil.

“I believe in the martial arts change everything in my life”

(Anderson Silva)

Silva was the one who broke the traditional rules of MMA and brought new techniques. And that is why Anderson the Spider Silva is called a timeless icon of MMA.

8. Anderson Silva’s Historic Fights

8.1. Anderson Silva Vs. Alex Stiebling

Fight History:

On June 23, 2002, Pride Fighting Championships held its 21st event in Tokyo, Japan. Among the stacked lineup of fighters was a young Brazilian by the name of Anderson Silva, who was set to face off against American fighter Alex Stiebling. The fight turned out to be a display of Silva’s incredible skill and went down in history as one of the greatest fights in Pride FC history.


Anderson Silva was already a rising star in the MMA world when he faced Alex Stiebling. Silva had a record of 8-1-0, Stiebling, on the other hand, had a record of 12-1-0.


From the advent of the match, Silva showed why he was considered one of the most talented fighters in the world. He came out with aggressive punches. Silva’s striking was precise and powerful, and he was able to attack Alex with fierce punches.


The fight ended in the first round, with Anderson Silva being declared the winner by TKO (Doctor Stoppage). It was Silva’s deadly shin kick that hit Stiebling’s face and made him lose the march because of an injury.

8.2. Anderson Silva Vs. Dan Henderson

Fight History:

At UFC 82, Anderson Silva faced Dan Henderson to defend his UFC Middleweight Champion Title for the first time. It was an epic fight because of the unification of Pride FC and UFC. Dan Henderson was Pride FC’s Middleweight Champion.


The fight started and Silva made his mark on Henderson by kicking his shin bone. It made Henderson go off balance and that is where Silva began his excellent clinch game. Henderson escaped it but Silva got the chance of hitting Hendeson in the face with his savage shin kick. This shin kick was the reason for his victory against Alex Stiebling.


Henderson took Silva to the ground position but Silva immediately closed guard and got the top position. Silva punched him in the side and retrieved his standing position. When Henderson went for the knee kicks, it was Silva who punched him and landed elbow strikes on his head.

Silva’s southpaw stance saved him from Henderson’s deadly punches. With his deadly leg kick, Silva caught Henderson. Henderson couldn’t stabilize himself and went to his knees. Silva took advantage of the position and hit with knees and elbow strikes.


Silva back mounted Henderson and landed punches to the back of his head. Thus, in the second round, Silva submitted Henderson via Rear Naked Choke.

8.3. Anderson Silva Vs. James Irvin

Fight History:

The fight between Anderson Silva and James Irvin was scheduled for the title fight, UFC Fight Night: Silva Vs. Irvin on 19 July 2008. The fight started and Silva made contact with Irvin by hitting on his shin bone. Irvin tried to kick Silva in the face but Silva escaped it. Later on, Silva punched Irvin and it was the falling point for Irvin.


Irvin tried to kick Silva, but Silva grabbed his leg and punched him in the face. It was in the first round and Silva took Irvin to the ground and blinded him with his sleek punches. Silva won the fight via TKO punches.

8.4. Anderson Silva Vs. Chael Sonnen

Fight History:

At UFC 117, Anderson Silva competed against Chael Sonnen to defend his UFC Middleweight Champion Title. This was the fight for which Sonnen’s strike rate was greater than Silva’s whole UFC career strike rate. This fight went for 5 rounds when Silva was used to ending the fight in the earlier rounds.


Sonnen tried to punch and kick Silva but Silva’s strong escape saved him every time. The whole crowd was excited about the fight. In the first round, Silva trapped Sonnen’s leg but Sonnen quickly got out of it. Silva lost his balance for a second after taking Sonnen’s punch but overcame it.


This was the very fight for which Silva was criticized for dodging Sonnen’s attacks. It wasn’t that Silva was dodging punches, he was rather saving himself from taking deadly blows.


Silva took Sonnen down but Sonnen overturned the situation. Sonnen is notorious for grinding his opponents from the top piston and this is what he did with Anderson Silva. Sonnen tried to lock Silva in the choke but Silva took the guard position.


It was in the fifth round when both fighters got tired and Silva was in the guard position. Silva punched Sonnen on the head and set up the Triangle Armbar and got the submission.

8.5. Anderson Silva Vs. Jake Paul

Though Silva lost the fight against Jake Paul, his performance in the fight was mind-blowing. At the age of 47, it can be only Anderson Silva who can fight this hard. In round 1, Silva effectively escaped Paul’s attack. Silva was in a calm state as Paul was agitated about the fight. One deadly punch of Silva was enough to startle Paul.


It was in round 2 when Pual went all heavy on Silva. His blows became strong and Silva couldn’t escape them all. Paul’s punches became a burden on Silva and he started bleeding. It was Paul’s punches to Silva’s chest and face that made Silva lose the fight. Despite this defeat, Anderson Silva will always remain an MMA legend.

9. Anderson Silva’s Championships

9.1. ESPN.com

Year Award
2011 Knockout of the Year

9.2. Inside MMA

Year Award
2011 KO Kick of the Year Bazzie Award

9.3. MMA Live

Year Award
2010 Fight of the Year

9.4. Sherdog

Year Award
2009 Beatdown of the Year
2011 All-Violence 1st Team

9.5. Spike Guys’ Choice Awards

Year Award
2008 Most Dangerous Man

9.6. Sports Illustrated

Year Award
2008 Fighter of the Year

9.7. World MMA Awards

Year Award
2008 Fighter of the Year
2010 Fight of the Year
2011 Knockout of the Year

9.8. Wrestling Observer Newsletter

Year Award
2012 Most Outstanding Fighter
2012 MMA Most Valuable Fighter

9.9. Record

Anderson Silva Records

  • Sherdog Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame
  • Shooto Middleweight Champion

Cage Rage Middleweight Champion

  • 3 successful Cage Rage Defense Title Fights

Ultimate Fighting Championship

  • UFC Middleweight Champion
  • 10 Successful Defense Titles
  • 5 Times Fight of the Night
  • 7 Times Knockout of the Night
  • 2 Times Submission of the Night
  • Longest Title Reign in UFC History (2457 days)
  • Longest Win Streak in UFC History (16)
  • Successful Title Defenses in UFC Middleweight Division
  • Most Wins in UFC Middleweight Title Fights
  • Tied for Most Knockouts in the UFC Middleweight Division History
  • Most Consecutive Title Defenses in UFC Middleweight Division
  • Most Finishes in UFC Title Fights

10. Anderson Silva Inducted Into the UFC Hall of Fame

10.1. Anderson Silva’s Career Highlights in the UFC

Anderson Silva is one of the most iconic figures in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). During his time in the UFC, Silva built a record of 17 wins and 7 losses.


Silva’s reign as middleweight champion from 2006 to 2013 is one of the longest streaks of retaining UFC’s Champion title in the history of MMA. During that time, he defended his title 10 times. Some of his most memorable victories include his knockouts of Vitor Belfort, Patrick Cote, Nate Marquardt, and Chris Leben, as well as his submission of Dan Henderson is one of the most dramatic submissions.

10.2. The Epic Announcement

In 2023, UFC announced that Anderson Silva would be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in the pioneer wing. The announcement was the most anticipated news for MMA fans. Anderson deserved to be in the UFC Hall of Fame because of his contribution and performance in the UFC.


In the upcoming ceremony of UFC Hall of Fame Induction, Anderson Silva will be inducted into the “Pioneer Wing” of the UFC Hall of Fame. The ceremony will take place in Las Vegas at International Fight Week from the 3rd to the 9th of July 2023.


The president of UFC, Dana White, announced this news and congratulated the “Spider”.

“Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time. Anderson’s 16-fight winning streak in the UFC, 10 successful title defenses, and almost seven years as middleweight champion was one of the most remarkable things we've ever seen in professional sports. He was an absolute artist inside the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

(Dana White)

10.3. Silva’s Reaction to the News

Upon hearing the news of his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, Anderson Silva was understandably emotional. In an interview, Silva expressed his gratitude and humbleness, saying that he was “honored and blessed” to be recognized in such a way.

10.4. Legacy and Impact of Silva on UFC and MMA

The legacy which Anderson Silva left to MMA can not be described. His marvelous skill, adept techniques, and strong mental ability have rightly reserved him the spot of “Greatest Of All Times”, (GOAT).

“I don’t believe I’m the best, I just believe I can do things that people say are impossible.”

(Anderson “The Spider” Silva)

Anderson Silva was way ahead of his time when the sport was still evolving and he himself was already evolving. It is not wrong to say that Anderson Silva is one of the pioneers in laying the foundation of MMA for the whole world.

11. Anderson Silva’s MMA Career Statistics

Sub. Average 0.8
Takedown Accuracy 77 %
Takedown Defense 69 %
Takedown Average 0.50 %
Significant Strike Defense 60 %
Significant Strike Accuracy 61 %
Significant Strikes Absorbed Per Minute 2.50
Significant Strikes Landed Per Minute 3.50

12. Anderson Silva’s MMA Professional Record Breakdown

46 Matches 34 Wins 11 Losses
By Knockout  23 4
By Submission  3 2
By Decision  8 4
By Disqualification  0 1
Draw 0
No Contest 1

13. Anderson Silva’s MMA Fight History

Date Event Opponent W/L/D Method Location Time Round
31 Oct 2020 UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva Uriah Hall L TKO (punches) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 1:24 4
11 May 2019 UFC 237 Jared Cannonier L TKO (leg kick) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4:47 1
10 Feb 2019 UFC 234 Israel Adesanya L Decision (unanimous) Melbourne, Australia 5:00 3
11 Feb 2017 UFC 208 Derek Brunson W Decision (unanimous) Brooklyn, New York, United States 5:00 3
09 July 2016 UFC 200 Daniel Cormier L Decision (unanimous) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 5:00 3
27 Feb 2016 UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping Michael Bisping L Decision (unanimous) London, England 5:00 5
31 Jan 2015 UFC 183 Nick Diaz NC NC (overturned by NSAC) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 5:00 5
28 Dec 2013 UFC 168 Chris Weidman L TKO (leg injury) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 1:16 2
06 July 2013 UFC 162 Chris Weidman L KO (punches) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 1:18 2
13 Oct 2012 UFC 153 Stephan Bonnar W TKO (knee to the body and punches) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 4:40 1
07 July 2012 UFC 148 Chael Sonnen W TKO (knee to the body and punches) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 1:55 2
27 Aug 2011 UFC 134 Yushin Okami W TKO (punches) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 2:04 2
05 Feb 2011 UFC 126 Vitor Belfort W KO (front kick and punches) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 3:25 1
07 Aug 2010 UFC 117 Chael Sonnen W Submission (triangle armbar) Oakland, California, United States 3:10 5
10 April 2010 UFC 112 Demian Maia W Decision (unanimous) Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 5:00 5
08 Aug 2009 UFC 101 Forrest Griffin W KO (punch) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States 3:23 1
18 April 2009 UFC 97 Thales Leites W Decision (unanimous) Montreal, Quebec, Canada 5:00 5
25 Oct 2008 UFC 90 Patrick Côté W TKO (knee injury) Rosemont, Illinois, United States 0:39 3
19 July 2008 UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Irvin James Irvin W KO (punches) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 1:01 1
01 March 2008 UFC 82 Dan Henderson W Submission (rear-naked choke) Columbus, Ohio, United States 4:52 2
20 Oct 2007 UFC 77 Rich Franklin W TKO (knees) Cincinnati, Ohio, United States 1:07 2
07 July, 2007 UFC 73 Nate Marquardt W TKO (punches) Sacramento, California, United States 4:50 1
03 Feb, 2007 UFC 67 Travis Lutter W TKO (submission to elbows) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 2:11 2
14 Oct, 2006 UFC 64 Rich Franklin W KO (knee) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 2:59 1
28 June, 2006 UFC Fight Night 5 Chris Leben W KO (knee) Las Vegas, Nevada, United States 0:49 1
22 April, 2006 Cage Rage 16 Tony Fryklund W KO (elbow) London, England 2:02 1
20 Jan, 2006 Rumble on the Rock 8 Yushin Okami L DQ (illegal kick) Honolulu, Hawaii, United States 2:33 1
03 Dec, 2005 Cage Rage 14 Curtis Stout W KO (punches) London, England 4:59 1
30 April, 2005 Cage Rage 11 Jorge Rivera W TKO (knees and punches) London, England 3:53 1
31 Dec, 2004 Pride Shockwave 2004 Ryo Chonan L Submission (flying scissor heel hook) Saitama, Japan 3:08 3
11 Sept, 2004 Cage Rage 8 Lee Murray W Decision (unanimous) London, England 5:00 3
27 June, 2004 Gladiator 2 Jeremy Horn W Decision (unanimous) Seoul, South Korea 5:00 3
20 Dec, 2003 Conquista Fight 1 Waldir dos Anjos W TKO (corner stoppage) Vitória da Conquista, Brazil 5:00 1
08 June, 2003 Pride 26 Daiju Takase L Submission (triangle choke) Yokohama, Japan 8:33 1
16 March, 2003 Pride 25 Carlos Newton W KO (flying knee and punches) Yokohama, Japan 6:27 1
29 Sept, 2002 Pride 22 Alexander Otsuka W Decision (unanimous) Nagoya, Japan 5:00 3
23 June, 2002 Pride 21 Alex Stiebling W TKO (doctor stoppage) Saitama, Japan 1:23 1
31 Jan, 2002 Mecca 6 Roan Carneiro W TKO (submission to punches) Curitiba, Brazil 5:32 1
26 Aug, 2001 Shooto 7 Hayato Sakurai W Decision (unanimous) Osaka, Japan 5:00 3
09 June, 2001 Mecca 5 Israel Albuquerque W TKO (submission to punches) Curitiba, Brazil 6:17 1
02 March, 2001 Shooto 2 Tetsuji Kato W Decision (unanimous) Tokyo, Japan 5:00 3
16 Dec, 2000 Mecca 4 Claudionor Fontinelle W TKO (punches and knees) Curitiba, Brazil 4:35 1
12 Aug, 2000 Mecca 2 Jose Barreto W TKO (head kick and punches) Curitiba, Brazil 1:06 1
27 May 200 Mecca 1 Luiz Azeredo L Decision (unanimous) Curitiba, Brazil 10:00 2
25 June, 1997 BFC 1 Fabrício Camões W TKO (retirement) Campo Grande, Brazil 25:14 1
Raimundo Pinheiro W Submission (rear-naked choke) 1:53 1

14. Anderson Silva’s Boxing Professional Record Breakdown

5 Fights 3 Wins 2 Losses
By Knockout 2 1
By Decision 1 1

15. Anderson Silva’s Boxing Fight History

Date Opponent W/L/D Record Location Round, Time
29 Oct, 2022 Jake Paul L 3-2 Arizona, U.S 8
11 Sept, 2021 Tito Ortiz W 3-1 Florida, U.S 1 (8), 1:22
19 June, 2021 Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. W 2-1 Guadalajara, Mexico 8
05 May, 2005 Julio Cesar De Jesus W 1-1 Salvador, Brazil 2 (6), 0:19
22 May, 1998 Osmar Luiz Teixeira L 0-1 Uniao da Vitoria, Brazil 1 (6), 3:00

15.1. Exhibition Fight

Date Opponent W/L/D Record Location Round, Time
21 May, 2022 Bruno Machado Abu Dhabi, U.A.E 8

16. Anderson Silva’s Pay Per View Bouts

16.1. MMA

Date Event Fight PPV Buys
14 Oct 2006 UFC 64 Franklin vs. Silva 300,000
03 Feb 2007 UFC 67 Silva vs. Luter 400,000
07 July 2007 UFC 73 Silva vs. Marquardt 425000
20 Oct 2007 UFC 77 Silva vs. Franklin 2 325,000
01 March 2008 UFC 82 Silva vs. Henderson 325,000
5 Oct 2008 UFC 90 Silva vs. Côté 300,000
18 April 2009 UFC 97 Silva vs. Leites 650,000
08 Aug 2009 UFC 101 Silva vs. Griffin (co) 850,000
10 April 2010 UFC 112 Silva vs. Maia 500,000
07 Aug 2010 UFC 117 Silva vs. Sonnen 600,000
05 Feb 2011 UFC 126 Silva vs. Belfort 725,000
27 Aug 2011 UFC 134 Silva vs. Okami 335,000
07 July 2012 UFC 148 Silva vs. Sonnen 2 925,000
13 Oct 2012 UFC 153 Silva vs. Bonnar 375,000
06 July 2013 UFC 162 Silva vs. Weidman 550,000
28 Dec 2013 UFC 168 Weidman vs. Silva 2 1,025,000
31 Jan 2015 UFC 183 Silva vs. Diaz 650,000
11 Feb 2017 UFC 208 Silva vs. Brunson (co) 200,000
10 Feb 2019 UFC 234 Adesanya vs. Silva 175,00,0
Total Sales 9,635,000

16.2. Boxing

Main Event

Date Fight Billing Buys Network Revenue
19 June, 2021 Chavez Jr. vs. Silva Tribute to the Kings FITE TV
29 Oct, 2022 Paul vs. Silva 300,000 Showtime $17,997,000
Total 300,000   $17,997,000

Co-Main Event

Date Fight Billing Buys Network Revenue
21 May, 2022 Mayweather Jr. vs. Moore Silva vs. Machado The Showcase in the Skies of Dubai FITE TV
21 May, 2022 Holyfield vs. Belfort Silva vs. Ortiz No Holds Barred 150,000 Triller 150,000
Total 150,000   150,000

17. Anderson Silva’s Top Fight Links

Israel Adesanya and Anderson Silva Cross Paths | UFC 234, 2019 | On This Day

Anderson Silva (Brazil) vs Jake Paul (USA) | BOXING fight, HD

Anderson Silva and Dan Henderson Unify UFC & PRIDE Middleweight Titles | UFC 82, 2008 | On This Day

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