Anderson Silva

Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva – MMA Profile

With a record of 22 wins and 4 losses, Anderson “The Spider” Silva is a former UFC Middleweight Champion. He has fought in a number of organizations including Mecca, Shooto, PRIDE, Cage Rage, and currently, the UFC. As a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, Silva has been participating in professional MMA bouts since 2000. He’s a well-rounded fighter who mixes Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu with Muay Thai, combining striking proficiency and grappling skills to dominate his opponents. He has a reputation for being a ferocious striker, confirmed by his 13 knockouts.

Silva began learning Tae Kwon Do when he was 14. He felt an instant connection with combat sports and joined the legendary Chute Boxe Academy (known for producing remarkable strikers). In 2000, he entered the cage for his first professional MMA fight. Though he lost that bout, he defeated his next 9 opponents, catching the attention of MMA fans. Silva joined PRIDE in 2002 and won his first 3 bouts, including a fight against Carlos Newton, a UFC welterweight champion.

Over his next several fights, Silva participated in a number of organizations, finally landing a spot on the UFC circuit in 2006. He battled noted MMA fighter Chris Leben, breaking Leben’s UFC undefeated streak and knocking him out in the first round. The fight created a flurry of interest in Silva and the UFC began to promote him heavily. Since joining the UFC, he has gone undefeated, dominating such MMA fighters as Rich Franklin, Travis Lutter, and Dan Henderson.

Even though Silva is equally adept as a striker and grappler, he is known to use his knees with intense force and accuracy. In UFC 64, he landed a crushing knee to Franklin’s body before delivering a knee to his face, breaking his nose. In Ultimate Fight Night 5, he finished Leben off with a knee strike at 49 seconds in the first round. Notably, none of Silva’s UFC victories have reached decision and all were accomplished during the first 2 rounds.

While he has enjoyed a long career in MMA, Silva has said that he plans to retire from the sport in 2009. He is currently working toward a Physical Education degree and is expected to continue training others after he retires. The Spider from Brazil has already left his mark.