Close to retiring, Anderson Silva says he misses the former UFC owners: 'They treated us like family members'

A. Silva misses the days of the Fertitta brothers in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

The year 2020 was not normal and even MMA was shaken. Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo retired and now it's Anderson Silva approaching goodbye. The veteran will say goodbye to the sport against Uriah Hall No. UFC Las Vegas 12, an event that takes place this Saturday (31), in the USA, and the memories of his career in the organization begin to grow stronger.

In an interview with the North American website MMA Junkie, the former middleweight champion (83,9kg) fondly recalled the period when the company was run by the Fertitta brothers (Lorenzo and Frank) and explained what changed after the duo left.

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“The UFC changed a lot after Lorenzo left. He tried to make the UFC one big family, but it's completely different. I continue to fight here, because I have many friends and I feel good, but it is obvious that a lot has changed. With the Fertitta brothers, who owned the UFC, the relationship with the fighters was closer, especially for me. I love Dana, but Lorenzo and his brother were close to the fighters and treated us like members of their family,” Anderson said.

At 45, Anderson Silva tries to end his time in MMA with victory. The former middleweight champion has won just one fight in his last eight.