Anderson Silva is one of the greatest fighters in UFC history and MMA fans know how amazing his career was. In fact, his incredible fighting style and defensive abilities are often argued to be the best in the Octagon. Silva held the Middleweight Championship for 2,457 days, which proves how good a fighter he was. While some fighters have had equally impressive championship reigns, the closest one is nearly a full year shorter than Silva’s record. There are several accolades achieved by Silva throughout his career, but there are still some things that MMA fans don’t know about.
He used to work at McDonald’s
Silva’s story is really inspiring and shows people that anyone can make a difference if they put in the effort. He worked at McDonald’s during his youth. Many people around the world work at McDonald’s at some point in their lives, and while some people consider this type of job something to be ashamed of, others see it as a starting point. Silva showed that he was destined for big things, even if those things take time.
Spider-Man is his one of the favorites
MMA fans know his nickname is “The Spider”. Well, this nickname is very fitting for him because Anderson’s one of his favorite fictional characters is Spider-Man. Silva’s fans can probably draw parallels between his aggressive fighting style and the moves of the iconic comic hero. Many people point to Spider-Man as their favorite superhero. It is worth noting that the people in Silva’s life growing up often called him by different names.
UFC wanted him in early 2001
UFC is said to have been interested in him years before he joined the promotion in 2006. MMA fans can only imagine how amazing Silva’s career would have been had he received additional time with the promotion. It is possible that Silva’s records could have been even more unattainable for rising fighters. It is also possible that talented fighters may have proved to be a tough challenge for Silva in the promotion at that time.
Grabbed the Middleweight title within two bouts
MMA fighters have to work their way to the top of the rankings to get a shot at champions and titles. Silva managed to earn a title shot just after an early single fight during his career. He was pitted against Hayato Sakurai for the title in his second Japan-based fight. Silva managed to win via unanimous decision in an epic moment that saw him defeat the fighter, who was on a 20-fight winning streak.
Silva believes BJ Penn to be the greatest fighter
Many people in the MMA world believe that Anderson Silva is arguably the greatest fighter to ever step in the Octagon. But according to Silva, BJ Penn is actually the greatest fighter of all time. “The Spider” has made this claim many times, and it’s not just that he is the greatest fighter, but the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in MMA history. This is a significant claim coming from someone like Silva.
He had many surprise sponsors
During Silva’s peak in MMA, sponsors were not a common thing, and there were never major companies. While many UFC stars have major company sponsors, Silva was one of the pioneers of major sponsorships because of his mainstream fame. One surprising thing is his close friendship with football legend Cristiano Ronaldo, which led to Silva being sponsored by 9INE’s sports marketing team. Another surprise sponsor was Burger King. Many sponsors included companies like Nike and his favorite football club, Corinthians.
Honest about his views on LGBTQ+ fighters
The Sports world has done a lot for LGBTQ+ athletes around the world, but unfortunately, there are still some who are afraid to come out due to many reasons. Silva has been extremely honest in the past when giving his opinions on LGBTQ+ fighters in MMA. Fans will be happy to know that Silva doesn’t care what anyone’s sexual preferences are. He has often mentioned that it is skill and respect that matters, and those who give him respect will receive the same respect in return.
Excelled in the Boxing world as well
Silva is an incredible MMA fighter, but he took his excellence forward and applied it to the classical form of fighting in the world of boxing. While his original professional boxing debut didn’t go as he wanted, Silva managed to pick up two wins in his two 2021 boxing matches over Juliest Chavez Jr. and Tito Ortiz. His striking and skilled defense are probably a big part of his success in the boxing world too.
Appeared in several films
Anderson Silva gained rapid popularity because of his appearances in films. He used to showcase his personality a lot during his fights and that translated well onto the big screen. Silva has appeared in many films over the years, many of which are based on standard MMA fights. He sometimes appeared as himself and sometimes as a character. The Spider shined in every role he played.
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