MMA Fighter Bios: Anderson Silva

ANDERSON SILVA

BORN: Curitiba, Brazil

6’2, 185 and 205 pound fighter

Memorable KOs

§ Flying knee knockout over Carlos Newton in Pride FC

§ Reverse elbow KO over Tony Fryklund

§ 49 second knockout over Chris Leben in UFC debut

§ First round victory over Rich Franklin to win the UFC title

§ 1:01 quick KO over James Irvin in light-heavyweight debut

§ Flashy and dazzling KO in the first round versus Forrest Griffin

LUCKY 13

13 of Silva’s 25 wins have been via first round KO or TKO

§ 1:06 versus Jose Barreto in 2000

§ 4:35 versus Claudionor Fontinelle in 2000

§ 6:17 versus Israel Albuquerque in 2001

§ 1:23 versus Alex Stiebling in 2002

§ 6:27 versus Carlos Newton in 2003

§ 5:00 versus Waldir dos Anjos in 2003

§ 4:59 versus Curtis Stout in 2005

§ 2:02 versus Tony Fryklund in 2006

§ 0:49 versus Chris Leben in 2006

§ 2:59 versus Rich Franklin in 2006

§ 4:50 versus Nate Marquardt in 2007

§ 1:01 versus James Irvin in 2008

§ 3:23 versus Forrest Griffin in 2009

Arguably the greatest striker in the history of the sport, Anderson Silva has used his Muay Thai skills to dominate the 185 pound division and put away some of the top middleweights in the game. When he’s on, as he always seems to be, there is nobody in the game that is able to stop “The Spider”. 75% of his wins have been via stoppages.

While his striking is astounding, his ground game is exceptional too. He has showed solid BJJ and is a blackbelt in the craft. His defeat over world class grappler Travis Lutter in the UFC, which ended with the Brazilian holding onto a triangle choke and elbowing his way to a submission over the American middleweight, was an example of the vast amount of tools Silva has in his arsenal, and his ability to use them to finish off opponents.

One of the most appealing aspects of Silva’s game is the wide variety of attack he uses on the feet, and the extreme creativity he possesses. “Ballet of Violence” was a very apt quote utilized by UFC color commentator Joe Rogan in describing the beauty and devastation of Silva. The Brazilian combines the martial and the art extremely well. The fluidity and impact of his craft is a thing of beauty to watch. You really are never sure what Silva is going to throw at his opponents, but there is always that feeling of certainty that it’s only a matter of time before Silva is going to catch his opponent. His skill level is at such a high level that he is able to toy with opponents and be confident enough to be as creative as he wants to be.

Nobody could have imagined he’d defeat Tony Fryklund with a reverse elbow knockout, one of the most spectacular displays of accuracy, power, creativity and plain audacity to even try and attempt it. People would think you’re out to lunch if you’d discuss the possibility of knocking somebody out like that in MMA prior to that, but that’s exactly the type of attitude Silva feeds off of. “I believe I can do things people think are impossible”, is an Anderson Silva tells mantra. And it has definitely worked–he has accomplished some of the most amazing feats in MMA.

A record 10 straight wins in the UFC is a remarkable achievement, given elite talent has been flocking to the top MMA promotion on the planet for years. 6 title defenses is also a tremendous feat, considering the fact that highly skilled and motivated opponents have been consistently thrown and the Brazilian sensation.

Part of Silva’s greatness has been due to his success moving up to 205. His accomplishments at middleweight are sufficient enough, but he has gone up a weight class and done tremendous in his first two outings. Knocking out James Irvin in his light-heavyweight debut was a textbook case of high level striking. Training Muay Thai since the age of 5 has really aided the Brazilian in his career and he simply grabbed Irvin’s kick in that bout and threw a perfectly timed and accurate right that sent the American to the mat.

His second bout at 205 against Forrest Griffin was another knockout in spectacular fashion. Displaying incredible head movement, striking, and unfathomable self-assurance in his skill to the point where he dropped his hands, Silva punched his way to victory once again at light heavyweight, taking out the former champion in devastating fashion.

Silva has risen to the greatest heights in the sport and keeps on marching forward. Can he continue his rise further into greatness by victimizing the rest of the light-heavyweight class and add some more gold to his collection? It’s hard to deny anything Silva sets his mind to and focuses on in mixed martial arts.