Anderson “The Spider” Silva to be Inducted into UFC Hall of Fame
The UFC’s middleweight G.O.A.T. Anderson Silva, was announced as a member of the 2023 hall of fame class. He will be enshrined alongside other inductees such as Jose Aldo and Jens Pulver in July. Anderson Silva truly was levels above his competitors during his ascent to middleweight gold and middleweight division record ten title defenses.
“The Spider” is one of the most exciting fighters to have ever stepped inside the octagon. Silva directly created a lot of the growth in popularity the UFC experienced during his peak. He made his UFC debut in 2006 and would go on to capture the middleweight belt in the same year. This would be the beginning of a UFC-record 16 fight win-streak. A record that still has not been broken to this day. Anderson Silva’s six-year reign as middleweight champion was one of the most dominant stretches a fighter has ever had.
Anderson Silva’s career was on cruise control until he became a little too confident against Chris Weidman in 2013. Silva got clipped by a left hand from Weidman in the second round which cost him his title. Their rematch would become infamous when Silva suffered one of the most gruesome injuries in UFC history. The spider’s leg snapped in half on a leg kick attempt also in the second round. Silva was never the same fighter again, unfortunately, going 1-6 with one no contest in the remainder of his UFC career.
Silva’s Legacy is Undisputed
Despite a disappointing career derailment and fall from title contention in the second half of his career, Anderson Silva’s dominance at middleweight has still not been matched. The closest another fighter has come, Israel Adesanya, only defended his belt five times successfully before losing via TKO in his most recent fight.
It is easy for people to judge Silva for his most recent fights. He has been active in boxing since his UFC retirement. As of now he has a boxing record of 3-2. He most notably lost a decision to Jake Paul but also knocked Tito Ortiz out cold. Still performing at a high level at the age of 47, Silva’s legacy in combat sports continues to impress. Silva brought many fans to the UFC and raised the bar of technique, talent and skill in the sport forever.
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