Anderson Silva is considered as one of the greatest and most widely recognized MMA fighters of all time. Also known as “The Spider”, this Brazilian mixed martial arts fighter is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. Silva cemented his hold in UFC history by holding the longest title reign in the sport, starting in 2006 and ending in 2013.
Born on April 14, 1975 in Curitiba, Brazil, Silva started training in Jiu-Jitsu with the help of other neighborhood kids despite being stricken with poverty. He officially began learning martial arts at age 13 and showed exemplary proficiency in the sport. His unwavering passion and dedication led him to become highly skilled in various types of martial arts.
Silva started with Tae Kwon Do and moved on to learn Capoeira and Muay Thai. He holds a yellow rope in Capoeira, while he is a black belter in Tae Kwon Do, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Judo. On top of all his accomplishments in the field of martial arts, he is also a highly-skilled professional boxer and he competed in two boxing bouts before joining MMA.
Silva joined MMA with Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort, Assuerio Silva, and the Nogueira brothers under the team Black House in late November 2006. He then opened the Team Nogueira MMA Academy together with Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in Miami, Florida.
The cornerstones of his striking power – the jab, technical precision, and transitions – made him a fighter who is both feared and admired by many. Silva boasts of having the longest titled defense track in UFC, with 10 title defenses and 16 consecutive wins. In addition, he has numerous awards including 12 from post-fight bonuses.
Silva’s fight with Chris Weidman in 2013 is one of the most unforgettable moments in UFC, wherein he not only lost, but got a severe leg fracture as well. His latest match in 2017 against Derek Brunson ended with a win in his favor.
In his MMA career, he has a total of 33 wins with only 6 losses and 1 no contest. Overall, he comes with the record with the most knockdowns, most title fight wins, the leader in significant strike accuracy and most UFC title defenses.
