10 things fans should know about Anderson Silva

Full of UFC and MMA fans name Anderson Silva as one of their all-time favorite fighters. It’s hard for many not to at least include him in their top 10, not only thanks to his incredible fighting style, but also his defensive skills which are often considered the best to have ever graced the Octagon. Silva has had the kind of career that many fighters can only dream of.

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To get a feel for how good Silva was, he held the middleweight championship for 2,457 straight days. While other fighters have had equally impressive reigns, the closest reign is almost a year off Silva’s record. MMA fans could write an entire book just recounting Anderson Silva’s many career accolades.

ten He thrives in the boxing world

It’s hard to argue that Silva isn’t an incredible fighter. In recent years, Silva has managed to leverage her excellence in MMA and apply it to a classic form of fighting in the boxing world.

Although his professional boxing debut did not go the way he would have liked, he did manage to score victories in his two boxing matches in 2021 against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and none other than Tito Ortiz. His expert-level hitting and masterful defense are probably a big part of his boxing success.

9 Spider-Man is one of his heroes

With a nickname like The Spider, it’s only fitting that one of Silva’s favorite fictional characters is Spider-Man. Silva fans can probably draw parallels between Silva’s awe-inspiring fighting style and the way the iconic comic book hero moves.

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While many people refer to Spider-Man as their favorite superhero, it’s worth noting that people growing up in Silva’s life often insult him and make accusations about his sexuality. Relating to a young hero who overcomes adversity is perhaps what gave MMA fans Silva’s legendary career.

8 He previously worked at McDonald’s

Silva is a man who started from humble beginnings, and his story is one that shows people that anyone can make a difference if they make the effort. During her youth, Silva actually worked at none other than McDonald’s.

Many people around the world end up working at McDonald’s at some point in their lives, and while some view a job like this with shame, others see it as a starting point. Silva has shown he is meant for bigger things, but sometimes those great things take time.

seven The UFC wanted him back in 2001

While UFC fans wouldn’t see Silva for quite a while after he had already solidified his MMA legacy, it has been said that the UFC was interested in him years before he finally showed up. for the company.

UFC fans can only dream of how legendary Silva’s career could have been had he had the extra time with the promotion. It’s possible that all of Silva’s records have become even more inaccessible to aspiring fighters. It’s also possible that the talent of the promotion at the time proved to be a tall order for Silva.

6 He became Shooto middleweight champion in two fights

Some fighters have to scratch and fight their way to the top of the leaderboards in order to earn a chance against the most prominent champions. Silva managed to earn a title early in her career after just one fight.

Silva faced Hayato Sakurai for his title in his second Japan-based fight. Young Silva managed to secure the unanimous decision victory in an incredible moment that saw him defeat an undefeated fighter who was on a 20-game winning streak.

During Silva’s bounty, MMA sponsors weren’t always the most common thing to find, and they were hardly ever big companies. While many fighters now have major sponsors, Silva was one of the pioneers of major sponsors thanks to his mainstream fame.

A surprise is his close relationship with football superstar Ronaldo which led to Silva being sponsored by the 9INE sports marketing team. Another surprising sponsor is the fast food giant, Burger King. Other sponsors include companies like Nike, and even his favorite football club, Corinthians.

4 He thinks BJ Penn is the greatest fighter of all time

There are a lot of people who believe that Anderson Silva is without a doubt the greatest fighter to ever be in the Octagon. It may surprise these people to learn that Silva thinks BJ Penn is actually the greatest fighter of all time.

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It is not just a simple demand. Silva has claimed this multiple times, and it’s not just that he’s the greatest fighter, but the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in all of MMA’s history. That’s a pretty big claim, but if anyone is able to make such a claim, it’s someone like Anderson Silva.

3 He had problems with drug tests

MMA fighters aren’t exactly angels when it comes to living their personal lives. Everyone is human and while some people have their vices, others look for ways to gain an underhand advantage over their opponents.

While many fighters end up getting caught with drugs in their system, many MMA fans know that when Silva was caught on one occasion, her response practically became a meme. After testing positive in a drug test, Silva claimed the reason for the result was due to a sex enhancement drug that had been tampered with.

2 He has a lot of acting credits

As Anderson Silva grew in popularity, the likelihood of his appearance in film and television only increased. Silva managed to convey a lot of personality during his fights, and that personality translated well on the big screen.

Over the years, Silva has appeared in at least nine different productions to some extent. While many movies are the standard MMA fight movies fans might expect, titles like a stop-motion movie about a bunch of worms may surprise MMA fans. Sometimes appearing as himself, and sometimes as a character, Silva shines in every role he finds.

1 He became honest about his views on LGBTQ + fighters

While the world of MMA has done a lot for LGBTQ + athletes across the world, there are unfortunately still some who are afraid to show up for a variety of reasons. Silva has been brutally honest in the past when giving his thoughts on LGBTQ + fighters in MMA.

Many MMA fans will likely be happy to hear that Silva doesn’t care about someone’s sexual preferences. Silva has often mentioned that what matters most is competence and respect and that those who show respect to her will receive the same respect in return.

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