Boxing
Who is Anderson 'The Spider' Silva? UFC legend prepares for fight on Paul vs. Joshua fight card
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Anderson 'The Spider' Silva is widely known as one of the greatest mixed martial artist in UFC history, and of all time. He's most acknowledged for redefining striking for the entire sport of MMA.
Born in Brazil, the São Paulo native spent his early years in Curitiba where he began training in martial arts. Beginning with jiu-jitsu with the neighborhood kids, he grew into his teenage years training in taekwondo, capoeira, and eventually muay thai.
The young boy who would work at a local McDonald’s and a file clerk would eventually rise to prominence as one of the world's most dangerous men.
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Becoming his own hero
Silva has told interviewers before that people like his mother, Muhammad Ali, Bruce Lee, and Spider-Man are the individuals he always looked up to as his heroes. All of whom you can see well in his fighting style.
With a strong foundation in taekwondo and muay thai, he continued to enhance his stand-up prowess into his known skillset where he’d utilize head movement, footwork, and unorthodox timing. Making his pro debut in ‘97, he worked through his regional competition and built his name in parallel to all the KOs / TKOs he’d inflict on his opponents.
Around the early 2000’s, Anderson’s career accelerated as he took his skillset to Japan and competed in high-level promotions like PRIDE or Shooto (where he captured middleweight gold).
From ‘04-’06 he established himself in the UK as the middleweight champion in Cage Rage - bolting him to worldwide recognition, where he finally made his entry into the UFC.
(re)Definition
The Spider constructed a complex matrix of a web around the UFC, and kept it in tact against all odds. With most of the promotion focused on a wrestling / grappling based foundation, Anderson broke through the mold with his unorthodox fighting style.
Deeply cerebral in nature, the otherwise linear fighters were not prepared for what would become the Silva Era of MMA. Focusing on his counterstriking and precision, Silva would keep his hands low and his chin relaxed - slipping and moving with the upmost subtlety.
While most fighters swung for the fences, The Spider’s KO’s often came from a single, perfectly placed and perfectly timed, strike. To him, accuracy and placement mattered more than raw force and power.
Becoming both a sniper and a matador all within the same breath. Calm, patient, and ruthless - he easily breaks each opponents flow and implements his disruptive rhythm.
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Greatness and Avant-garde genius
Anderson Silva’s name is synonymous with greatness and avant garde genius. A true creative force within the fighting world.
Only a few people in this world can enter a world and completely change everything. Since his retirement from MMA, Silva shifted his focus back onto boxing - where, from his 5 bouts, his record stands at 3 wins and 2 losses.
At the age of 50 years old, you have to admit how impressive it is that somebody who’s already given so much of himself to the sport continues on. From his upbeat attitude and relentless optimism, Silva continues to capture the hearts of fight fans around the world.
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