A. Silva (photo) turned 40 years old. Photo: Josh Hedges/UFC
The most dominant champion in UFC history and one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, Anderson Silva turns 40 years old this Tuesday (14). Despite having enjoyed success for much of his career in the fighting world, “Spider”, as he is known, is going through a turbulent time, which even calls into question his continuity in the sport.
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A professional athlete since 1997, Anderson made his debut in the sport on the national scene, fighting in events in Campo Grande (MS) and Curitiba (PR). Her first major world title was in 2001, when she beat Hayato Sakurai in Japan to win the Shooto belt.
Thus, it became a matter of time for Silva to debut at PRIDE, the biggest event on the planet at the time. Knockouts against Alex Stiebling and Carlos Newton drew attention, but the Brazilian was unable to take off as expected after suffering defeats to the discreet Daiju Takase and Ryo Chonan.
Then, discouraged amid thoughts of retirement, Anderson sought to reinvent himself in his career in England, competing in the Cage Rage organization, the largest in Europe at the time. There, he had a perfect record, winning the middleweight belt, which ended up giving him a ticket to the UFC.
In the octagon, Anderson changed all standards of excellence by not only winning the title, but also dominating his opponents. In his first 16 fights in the UFC, “Spider” had 16 victories, only two of which were by judge's decision – otherwise, just knockouts and submissions. The first setback (and the loss of the title) came against Chris Weidman, in July 2013, in a fight in which he was intensely criticized for exaggerating his jokes.
The rematch came a few months later, and again would become a great trauma for the fighter. In the second round of the fight, Anderson threw a low kick at Weidman, who blocked the blow with his knee – as a result, Anderson's leg shockingly broke in half, ending the fight with a fracture that made MMA history .
After months of intense physical therapy, Anderson returned to fighting against Nick Diaz, in January this year. The victory came via the judges' decision, a result that brought the Brazilian to tears in the octagon. However, the big blow came shortly afterwards, when “Spider” was caught in two anti-doping tests using anabolic and anxiolytics. The trial in the case will be held soon, and could change the course of the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.
Check out Anderson Silva's main moments in the UFC below:
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