The name Anderson “The Spider” Silva is synonymous with mixed martial arts for many, if not most fans of the sport. The Brazilian native is one of the most legendary fighters in the sport, most notably holding the middleweight title for 2,457 days, which is the longest title reign in UFC history. This is just one of the many feats Silva has accomplished within combat sports, and even to this day he remains active within the boxing community, taking relatively tough fights even at 47 years old. Some of his most notable wins have come over fellow legends such as Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Chael Sonnen, Forrest Griffin, and many more. Silva was always an elite kickboxer, and he was known for his flashy yet effective style of striking, and his showboating style that fans loved and opponents despised. Forever a legend, this article will delve into the life and career of Anderson Silva.
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Anderson Silva Life and Career
Anderson Silva was born into poverty in São Paulo, Brazil but spent most of his childhood living with his aunt in Curitiba. He picked up martial arts and combat sports at a young age in sports such as Brazilian jiu jitsu, taekwondo, and Muay Thai.
In 1997 at the age of 22, Anderson Silva began his mixed martial arts career. Silva was 8-1 in regional promotions before signing to fight for Pride in Japan. After mixed success resulting in his release, Silva fought under the Cage Rage banner, winning and defending his title until signing with the UFC.
He took on Chris Leben in his first fight, knocking him out in the first round and making his first true impression on American fans. His reign continued with masterpiece performances such as his knockout over Rich Franklin to capture his first title or his incredible front kick knockout of fellow legend Victor Belfort.
The closest he came to losing his belt during this time was against Chael Sonnen, as he had lost the first four rounds, and on the bottom in the fifth, all seemed lost. Out of nowhere, Silva throws up a triangle choke and as Sonnen attempts to escape, he snatched his arm into an armbar and denied Chael of the one thing that eluded him in his career, a UFC title.
After continued dominance, Silva faced another challenger in Chris Weidman. The Spider, up to his usual taunting and antics, left his hands down as Weidman blitzed forward with a combo and touched Silva perfectly on the chin, ending the most legendary title reign in history.
The following fight was a rematch between Silva and Weidman, but it resulted in one of the most gruesome leg breaks we have ever seen, as Silva snapped his shin on Weidman’s leg. Unfortunately Anderson was unable to recover fully in his MMA career after this injury, and after a string of losses to contenders he announced his retirement from MMA.
This is not the end of The Spider’s story. After a few years off, he announced he would be going pro as a boxer, and since has proceeded to go 3-2 in his late forties, with his most notable win coming over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. To this day he remains active training as a boxer, and coaches many young fighters as well. He is scheduled to be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in July of 2023.
Who Was Anderson Silva’s first loss?
Anderson Silva’s very first UFC loss came at the hands of Chris “All American” Weidman. During their fight, Silva was convincingly winning much of the fight during the first round, until Weidman found success closing the distance in the second round and ultimately landed a vicious right hand while Silva was attempting to dodge and weave using his go-to head movement.
Chris Weidman followed up the knockdown with ground and pound and eventually the fight was stopped, marking Anderson’s very first loss in the UFC.
Anderson Silva Fighting Style
Anderson Silva is called “The Spider” for a reason. During his MMA career, he was elite at uses all elite limbs, being his hands, feet, elbows, and knees. Standing at 6’3 he was extremely tall and lanky for the middleweight division, making it difficult for his opponents to get inside, allowing Silva to stay on the outside and pick his shots as he wanted.
He was an early pioneer of the front kick in mma, both to the body and the head as displayed in his knockout over Vitor Belfort. Silva is a Brazilian jiu jitsu black belt, and was a submission threat off of his back any time an opponent tried to take him down, but rarely used any wrestling himself.
His long legs made his guard exceptionally dangerous, which allowed him to keep the fight standing as he usually wanted. Anderson Silva owns one of the most exciting highlight reels of any MMA fighter, and is a must watch if you are new to the sport or just want to relive some amazing moments from his career.
What martial arts does Anderson Silva do?
While Anderson Silva has practiced a wide variety of martial arts, he is most nortable for his practice of Muay Thai, Boxing, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. It’s worth noting that “The Spider” also holds a black belt in Taekwondo as well as experience in Judo.
What gear does Anderson Silva Use?
Anderson Silva was sponsored by Nike early in his career, but in 2014 the deal expired and he became a free agent in terms of sportswear. While he has never announced an official partnership, Silva has consistently used and fought using Adidas gloves and gear. Adidas is an elite and known boxing brand, which is why an athlete of Silva’s caliber would continue to use their gear.
While Adidas has previously been known more of a boxing brand, they are expanding more into combat sports and their relationship with Silva is a great foray into the fastest growing sport in the world, as well as other combat sports. Check out ATL fight shop’s collection of Adidas Boxing Gloves, an official Adidas Combat Sports retailer and one of the most unique and complete combat sports retailers available.
