Anderson Silva (UFC) Wiki, Height, Weight, Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Anderson Silva is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who has competed in the middleweight category of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and the Welterweight category of the Shooto Championship. He was the former title holder of UFC Middleweight Champion and had set a record for the longest title holder in UFC history for a total of 2,457 days. From 2006 to 2013, he made a record of 16 consecutive wins and in 2020 he retired from UFC and continued his career as a professional boxer. In 2023, he was admitted to the UFC Hall of Fame.

I have a story in fighting. I’ve fought the best athletes in the best events in the world. I believe that chance was given to me because I deserve to win…”

Wiki/Biography

Anderson da Silva (Portuguese pronunciation: ɐ̃deʁsõ ˈsiwvɐ) was born on Monday, 14 April 1975 (age 48 years; as of 2023) in São Paulo, Brazil. His zodiac sign is Aries.

Anderson Silva grew up in a poor family so he stayed with his aunt and uncle in Curitiba. His uncle was a police officer there. As a child, he started learning jiu-jitsu with local kids as he could not afford to join classes. Later, as a teenager, when he was able to find money for classes, he learned taekwondo, capoeira, and Muay Thai. Before his professional debut in 1997, he got a degree in Physical Education and had to work at McDonald’s for some time to fund his training. He became a US citizen in July 2019. He has been associated with different clubs throughout the years such as Chute Boxe Academy (1997–2003), Muay Thai Dream Team (2003–2006), Brazilian, Top Team (2003–2006), Black House (2007–2013), Team Nogueira, Killer Bees Muay Thai College (Founded), Trainer Boxing: Josuel Distak and Luiz Dorea. He has learned different martial arts from different coaches like Jiu-Jitsu from Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, Sylvio Behring and Ramon Lemos, Wrestling from Mark Muñoz, Muay Thai from Rafael Cordeiro, Pedro Rizzo, and Israel Gomes, Panantukan from Dan Inosanto. In an interview with Fighting! Magazine, he said,

When I started out, Jiu-Jitsu was really an elite thing in Brazil, and there was some prejudice towards poorer kids, so I had to learn things on my own. Some of my neighbours started doing Jiu-Jitsu, so I started watching it, and then started rolling with them.”

Physical Appearance

Height (approx.): 6′ 2″

Weight (approx.): 84 kg

Hair Colour: Black (stays bald)

Eye Colour: Dark Brown

Body Measurements (approx.): Chest: 46″, Waist: 34″, Biceps: 16″

Family

Anderson was born to a Brazilian-American family in São Paulo.

Parents & Siblings

His father’s name is Juarez da Silva, and his mother’s name is Vera Lucia Da Silva. They both worked as police officers in Brazil.

Anderson Silva has 3 siblings. His younger brother, Cristian Edmundo Silva, is a football player.

Wife & Children

Anderson Silva married Dayane Silva in 2011. Dayane is a digital creator and ex-gymnast.

He has 5 children, 2 daughters, and 3 sons. His eldest son, Gabriel Silva, is a professional boxer. Kalyl Silva his second son, is a professional martial artist and a sportsperson. Joao Vitor Silva is his third-born son. His elder daughter, Kaory Silva, is a fitness and lifestyle-based Digital Creator, and his younger daughter, Kauana Silva, is a student.

Relationship/Affair

Silva met Dayane Silva in 1992 and began dating before getting married.

Religion/Religious Views

During an interview, Silva was asked, Do you believe in God? How is your religious life? He responded to it by saying,

I believe we must have faith. God is a higher being, which provides us good things, gives us the opportunity to be here. For me, it is important to believe, yes.  I believe regardless of religion, because God is in attitudes. Thank God, most worked, yes. Today I do not do that anymore. Sure there is talent, but the most important consideration is to have responsibility. With age, you will realize that there are some things you can not take chances.” ¹

Anderson has also posted about his faith in Jesus on his social media platforms.

Signature/Autograph

Career

Mixed Martial Arts

Early Career (1997–2002)

Silva started his fighting career in Brazil in the welterweight class. He began fighting professionally in 1997 and won two matches. In 2000, he faced his first loss against Luiz Azeredo. After this, he won nine matches in a row, with six wins through submission or TKO. In Japan, after his first win, he faced champion Hayato Sakurai on 26 August 2001. Silva won the match and became the Shooto Middleweight Champion. He was the first to defeat Sakurai, who had 20 undefeated matches before this.

Pride Fighting Championships and Cage Rage (2002–2006)

In 2002, Silva was set to fight UFC champion Matt Hughes, but he joined PRIDE Fighting instead. In his first PRIDE match, he defeated Alex Stiebling with a high kick. He then won against Alexander Otsuka by a unanimous decision. Later, at Pride 25, he defeated former UFC champion, Carlos Newton, with a flying knee and punches.

At Pride 26, Silva fought Daiju Takase. Although Takase had more losses, he dominated Silva and won by submission. This loss made Silva think about quitting MMA, but Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira convinced him to continue. Silva then joined Nogueira’s team and started fighting globally. On 27 June 2004, he defeated Jeremy Horn by a unanimous decision.

Three months later in September 2007, Silva had his first fight in the Cage Rage event in England, where he defeated Lee Murray by a unanimous decision. Later in the same year, Silva faced Ryo Chonan in Pride FC. While Silva seemed to be winning initially, Chonan surprisingly won in the third round with a unique move, causing Silva to submit. After this loss, Pride FC released Silva, but he kept fighting in Cage Rage and other events globally. He defended his Cage Rage title against Curtis Stout.

Silva was supposed to fight Matt Lindland at Cage Rage 16, but Lindland chose another match. Instead, Silva defended his title against Tony Fryklund and won with a reverse elbow in the first round.

 

Silva took part in Hawaii’s Rumble on the Rock event and faced Yushin Okami. Although Silva was expected to win, he was disqualified for kicking Okami in the face while Okami’s knees were on the ground, making it an illegal move. Silva later mentioned that he wasn’t properly informed about this rule. Okami could have continued the fight but chose the win by disqualification. Silva felt this was a weak way for Okami to win, believing Okami was fit to keep fighting.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (2006–2020)

Debut and middleweight championship

In April 2006, Silva joined the UFC. He made his debut on 28 June 2006 against Chris Leben, the Ultimate Fighter 1, who had a strong record in the UFC. Despite Leben’s confidence, Silva defeated him in just 49 seconds of the first round, with an impressive 85% striking accuracy.

 

After this, the UFC asked fans who Silva should face next. Most chose the UFC Middleweight Champion, Rich Franklin. They fought at UFC 64 on 14 October 2006. Silva used powerful knee strikes to damage Franklin, breaking his nose. At 2:59 of the first round, the referee stopped the fight due to Franklin’s inability to defend himself. Silva became the new UFC Middleweight Champion, being only the second person to defeat Franklin, following Lyoto Machida from Silva’s team.

Record-setting championship reign

On 3 February 2007, at UFC 67, Silva was set to defend his title against Travis Lutter. However, Lutter didn’t meet the weight requirement of 185 pounds, turning the match into a non-title bout. Even though Lutter had a strong ground game as a jiu-jitsu black belt, Silva won in the second round by combining a triangle choke and elbow strikes.

At UFC 73 on 7 July 2007, Silva saved his title by defeating Nate Marquardt in the first round. Later, on 20 October 2007, in Ohio, Silva won against Rich Franklin again, defending his title in the 2nd round.

On 1 March 2008, Silva faced Dan Henderson, a former Olympic wrestler, in a match combining UFC and Pride titles. Silva won in the 2nd round.

In the same year, on 19 July 2008, he fought James Irvin in a new weight class, winning in the first 60 seconds. Irvin later tested positive for drugs, methadone and oxymorphone.

On 25 October 2008, at UFC 90, Silva defended his Middleweight title against Patrick Côté. In the third round, Côté injured his right leg and couldn’t continue the fight, making Silva the winner by TKO. This was the first time a UFC opponent lasted beyond the 2nd round against Silva. After the match, there were comments about Silva avoiding contact.

Dana White, the UFC President, cleared the confusion about Silva’s approach, as Silva addressed these comments in a post-fight press conference by saying,

There are many people saying I was disrespecting Côté, but this is absolutely not true. My game plan since the beginning was fight five rounds, inducing him to commit mistakes and capitalize on that during the first three rounds and look for the knockout during the fourth and fifth rounds. It was working, and the biggest proof of that is that I almost didn’t waste any blows. I connected with a couple of good punches and knees, but unfortunately he got hurt and the fight was over. This is not my fault.”

On 18 April 2009, at UFC 97 in Montreal, Silva fought Thales Leites, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert. Silva won by unanimous decision, making it his 9th straight UFC victory. It was the first time someone took Silva through all 5 rounds in UFC. However, the crowd wasn’t happy with Silva’s performance, as he seemed bored and tried to provoke Leites. He even danced and let his guard down in later rounds. After the match, UFC President Dana White said he was “embarrassed” by Silva’s actions but still called him the “best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

On 8 August 2009, at UFC 101 in Philadelphia, Silva fought former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin at 205 pounds. Silva knocked Griffin down three times in the first round. This fight was recognized as the “Beatdown of the Year” by Sherdog, sharing the title with another fight between Brock Lesnar and Frank Mir. Both Silva and Griffin were awarded $60,000 for “Fight of the Night”, and Silva got an additional $60,000 for “Knockout of the Night.”

After Silva’s victory over Griffin, a Yahoo! Sports reporter claimed Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, said Silva would leave his Middleweight title to fight only at Light Heavyweight. However, both Soares and a UFC representative denied such a conversation took place. Silva did not give up his Middleweight title, and Soares mentioned planning to discuss the issue with Yahoo! Sports. Silva planned to defend his UFC Middleweight Championship against Vitor Belfort on 2 January 2010 at UFC 108. However, as Silva wasn’t fully healed from his last surgery, the fight was postponed. The fight was postponed to 6 February 2010 at UFC 109, but Silva’s recovery was slow, leading to another cancellation. The next date was set for 10 April 2010 at UFC 112, but Belfort got injured, and Demian Maia was then replaced to fight Silva for the title.

During his fight with Maia, Silva mocked him in the early rounds while striking accurately. By the third round, Silva’s approach changed, mostly avoiding action and teasing Maia. In the fifth round, the referee warned Silva for his behaviour. The audience began supporting Maia, who tried to initiate a rightful fight. After 5 rounds, Silva won the fight by a unanimous decision.

Silva faced heavy criticism for his behaviour during the fight. Dana White, the UFC president, expressed his major disappointment, calling it the most embarrassing moment since he took charge. In an unusual way, Dana White left in the fourth round, and gave the championship belt to Silva’s manager, Ed Soares, rather than placing it on Silva himself. Silva had mocked Maia multiple times during the fight, challenging him to “hit me in the face.” After the fight, Silva apologized for his behaviour, saying he wasn’t feeling like himself. He also mentioned that Maia had insulted him before the match, but many viewers felt that the pre-fight talk was normal and not very offensive.

 

On 7 August 2010, Silva fought Chael Sonnen for the UFC Middleweight title at UFC 117. For the majority of the fight, Sonnen dominated Silva, landing punches and maintaining control from the top. In the first four rounds, Sonnen took Silva down and took control of him on the ground. In the fifth round, after Silva slipped, Sonnen again took control and landed strikes. However, with about two minutes remaining, Silva managed to perform a triangle armbar, causing Sonnen to submit at 3:10 minutes of the fifth round. During their fight, Sonnen hit Silva more times than Silva had been hit in all his previous UFC matches combined. In Silva’s first 11 UFC fights, he was struck 208 times, while Sonnen landed 289 strikes in this single fight. If the fight decision had gone to the judges’ decision, Sonnen would have won, as all three judges had scored in his favour for the first four rounds. Silva later said he had a cracked rib before the fight and even received medical advice not to compete. UFC President Dana White stated that there would be a rematch when Silva was ready. After the fight, the California State Athletic Commission reported that Chael Sonnen tested positive for synthetic testosterone, indicating testosterone replacement therapy. Due to this, the initially promised rematch was cancelled. However, after Sonnen won two subsequent fights, UFC President Dana White scheduled the rematch.

On 5 February 2011, Silva faced Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Initially, Belfort was scheduled to fight Yushin Okami in November 2010, but Nate Marquardt replaced him. During their fight, after a risky start, Silva landed a front kick to Belfort’s jaw, followed by punches. The fight was stopped 3:25 minutes into the first round. This was Belfort’s first KO loss in 28 fights, and Silva’s eighth title defense in a row.

Later, Silva fought Yushin Okami on 27 August 2011 at UFC 134. Silva won by TKO in the second round, showing his striking accuracy and tactical skills. This victory avenged a previous disqualification loss to Okami in 2006, bringing Silva’s record to 31 wins and 4 losses.

Silva was scheduled to have a rematch with Chael Sonnen on 23 June 2012, at UFC 147. However, due to a conflict with the UN Conference Rio+20, the fight was rescheduled for 7 July 2012 at UFC 148. A match between Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva became the main event for UFC 147. At UFC 148, even though Silva faced challenges in the first round, he defeated Sonnen in the second round with a TKO.

Later, on 13 October 2012, at UFC 153, Silva faced Stephan Bonnar in a light heavyweight bout. Silva became the first to stop Bonnar with strikes in the 1st round. After that fight, Silva had made up his mind to retire from MMA.

Loss of Title and Injury

Although Silva had planned to retire after his fight with Bonnar, he faced Chris Weidman on 6 July 2013 at UFC 162. Silva, who had become the fan favourite, lost in the second round by a TKO after showboating, which ended his record for the longest title reign in UFC history.

Silva and Weidman had a rematch at UFC 168 on 28 December 2013. In the first round, Weidman controlled the fight, and it was suggested that Silva might have cracked his shin bone during an earlier leg check by Weidman. In the second round, Weidman checked another of Silva’s kicks, which broke Silva’s left fibula and tibia, ending the fight, and declaring his loss by KO. Silva underwent surgery to stabilize his tibia with a rod. His fibula was reset, and no further surgery was expected. The UFC stated the surgery went well, and usually, recovery from such injuries takes about three to six months.

Post-Championship reign

Even though many suggested Silva should retire from MMA, it was announced on 29 July 2014, that he would return to the UFC. Before UFC 179, Silva and the UFC finalised him into a new 15-fight contract, replacing the previous one which had eight fights left. On 29 October 2014, Silva was chosen to be a coach opposite Maurício Rua for The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil 4, which started filming at the beginning of 2015. Although they were coaches, they weren’t scheduled to fight each other at the end of the season. During the filming, Silva’s participation was questioned due to a failed drug test. Dana White initially said that Silva would continue to coach. However, Silva was eventually dismissed as coach by Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira.

After his injury, Silva’s comeback fight was against Nick Diaz on 31 January 2015 at UFC 183. Silva won via a unanimous decision. However, after the fight result, it was disclosed that Silva tested positive for Drostanolone and Androstane, two anabolic steroids, during a pre-fight drug test on 9 January 2015. The Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) had not yet overturned the fight result. Any changes to the fight’s outcome or penalties would need a majority vote by the commission.

On 11 February 2015, it was revealed that Silva tested positive for another illegal substance related to UFC 183. On 17 February 2015, it was confirmed by NSAC executive director Bob Bennett, confirmed to ESPN.com that Silva failed his post-fight urine test as well. He again tested positive for Drostanolone, the same substance from the 9 January test, and additionally for Oxazepam, an anti-anxiety medication, and Temazepam, used for sleep issues. He made a statement to the commission saying,

I am human and made mistakes. It definitely was a mistake. If I had known this supplement that I was taking for something else would have caused this sort of problem, I never would have taken it.” ²

On 13 August, after multiple rescheduling, Silva’s disciplinary hearing took place. Silva’s defence claimed that a tainted sexual enhancement product, given to him by a friend after a trip to Thailand, was the main reason for his two failed drostanolone tests. They also highlighted mistakes in the NSAC testing procedures, noting two drug tests, one on 19 January and one post-fight, which Silva passed. Silva agreed that he had used benzodiazepines the night before the fight to manage stress and aid sleep. However, Silva’s team couldn’t explain the presence of androsterone in the 9 January test. The commission didn’t accept the defence and gave Silva a one-year suspension starting from the fight date. Their new guidelines were not yet in effect during Silva’s failed tests. He was also fined his entire win bonus and 30% of his show money, which amounted to $380,000, and the fight result was changed to a no-contest. After his PED suspension, Silva returned to the octagon to face Michael Bisping on 27 February 2016 at UFC Fight Night 84. He lost the fight by a unanimous decision, but the fight also caused controversy. At the end of the third round, Silva knocked down Bisping with a flying knee while Bisping was indicating to the referee that he lost his mouthpiece. Silva thought he had won and celebrated, but the referee clarified that the fight wasn’t over. The fight continued for two more rounds, and both fighters received Fight of the Night awards.

Silva was scheduled to fight Uriah Hall on 14 May 2016 at UFC 198. However, on 10 May, Silva had to withdraw because of gallbladder surgery, and he couldn’t face Hall at the event. On 9 July 2016, Silva stepped in on short notice to fight UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier, in a non-title match at UFC 200, but Silva lost by unanimous decision.

On 11 February 2017, at UFC 208, Silva fought Derek Brunson and won by unanimous decision. However, 19 out of 23 media outlets believed Brunson should have been the winner.

Silva was scheduled to fight Kelvin Gastelum on 3 June 2017 at UFC 212. However, after Gastelum tested positive for marijuana, he was pulled from the bout. Even with two months’ notice, the UFC confirmed on 11 May that Silva wouldn’t compete in the event. The fight with Gastelum was rescheduled for 25 November 2017 at UFC Fight Night 122. But, on 10 November 2017, Silva was removed from the fight because of a failed USADA drug test which was done previously on 26 October. In July 2018, it was announced by USADA that Silva’s test failure was due to contaminated supplements. He received a one-year suspension starting in November 2017. This made him eligible to return to the ring by November 2018. Silva then faced Israel Adesanya on 10 February 2019 at UFC 234. Silva lost the fight by unanimous decision but earned the Fight of the Night award.

 

Silva fought Jared Cannonier on 11 May 2019 at UFC 237. He lost the match in the first round via TKO after Cannonier’s kick injured Silva’s right leg, making him unable to continue.

On 31 October 2020, Silva went up against Uriah Hall at UFC Fight Night: Hall vs. Silva. Silva was defeated in the fourth round by a technical knockout. After the fight, Silva hinted at the end of his MMA career in an Instagram post, though he did not officially announce retirement. Later, on 19 November 2020, UFC declared they had released Silva from his contract, giving him the freedom to negotiate with other fight promotions.

Professional Boxing Career

Silva vs. Chávez Jr.

In March 2021, Anderson Silva was scheduled to box Julio César Chávez Jr. on 19 June 2021. Silva emerged victorious by a split decision. Throughout the fight, Silva fought with high intensity and dominated the win by throwing a total of 392 punches compared to Chávez Jr.’s 153.

Silva vs. Ortiz

On 11 September 2021, Anderson Silva boxed against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, Tito Ortiz. Silva won the match by knocking out Ortiz in the first round.

Silva vs. Paul

On 6 September 2022, Anderson Silva was scheduled to fight a YouTuber and pro boxer, Jake Paul, at an event on October 29 in Phoenix, Arizona. During the fight, Silva was defeated by Paul through a unanimous decision, with judges scoring the bout 78–73 (twice) and 77–74, all in favour of Paul.

Silva vs. Machado (Exibiton Bout)

On 21 May 2022, Anderson Silva participated in an eight-round exhibition boxing match against fellow Brazilian MMA veteran, Bruno Machado, in Abu Dhabi. Silva managed to knock down Machado in the fifth round. However, since it was an exhibition match, it went the full distance and no official winner was announced.

Acting Career

In 2009, Anderson Silva made his debut in the film, Never Surrender. He played the role of Spider along with Héctor Echavarría, Quinton Jackson, Patrick Kilpatrick, Silvia Koys, and James Russo.

In 2009, he acted as King Anaconda in the film Hell’s Chain along with Héctor Echavarría, Christina Rosas, Quinton Jackson, and Heath Herring.

In 2011, he was in the film, Like Water. He played himself in the film, along with the stars, Chael Sonnen, Steven Seagal, Junior dos Santos, Lyoto Machida, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, José Aldo, and Dana White.

In 2013, he acted in the film, Til Death Do Us Part 2, as the character of Andrew Silver. Later that year, Silva did a voice acting performance in the film, Worms, directed by Paolo Conti and Arthur Nunes. He gave his voice to the character named Hairy.

In 2014, he was in the film, Tapped Out. He played the role of Anderson along with other actors, Cody Hackman, Michael Biehn, Krzysztof Soszynski, Martin Kove, Nick Bateman, and Lyoto Machida. In the same year, he was a part of the film, Monday Nights at Seven as the character of Mateus along with the actors, Lorraine Bracco, Edward James Olmos, Catherine Paiz, Pepe Serna, Kerry Norton, and Sal Lopez.

In 2017, Anderson Silva portrayed himself in the series, Ultimate Beastmaster for Netflix, presented by Rafinha Bastos, Luke Mockridge, Luis Ernesto Franco, and Terry Crews. In 2019, Silva played the role of Assassin in the Chinese Crime/Action film,  The Invincible Dragon, directed by Fruit Chan.

Awards/Titles/Achievements

Mixed martial arts

Cage Rage Championships

• Cage Rage Middleweight Championship (One time, Final)
  

  Silva’s first title belt at Cage Rage 8

• Three successful title defenses

Shooto

• Shooto Middleweight Championship (One time)
  

  Silva with Shooto Middleweight Championship

Ultimate Fighting Championship

• UFC Hall of Fame (Pioneer Wing, Class of 2023)

• UFC Middleweight Championship (One time)
  

  Silva’s Middleweight title

• Ten successful title defenses
  

  Anderson Silva defends his title against Travis Lutter

  

  Anderson saves his title against Nate Marquardt

  

  Anderson defends his title against Patrick Côté

• Most successful title defences in UFC Middleweight division history (10)

• Most consecutive title defences in UFC Middleweight division history (10)

• Second most consecutive title defences in UFC history (10)

• Third most combined title defences in UFC history (10)

• Longest title reign in UFC history (2457 days)

• Most finishes in UFC title fights (9)

• Most knockouts in UFC title fights (7)

• Most knockdowns in UFC title fights (10)

• Most UFC Middleweight title fights (13)

• Most wins in UFC Middleweight title fights (11)

• Tied (Amanda Nunes) for fourth most title fight wins in UFC history (11)

• Unified the UFC Middleweight and Pride World Welterweight Championships

• Fight of the Night (Five times) vs. Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, and Israel Adesanya

• Knockout of the Night (Seven times) vs. Chris Leben, Rich Franklin (2), Nate Marquardt, Forrest

• Griffin, Vitor Belfort, and Chael Sonnen

• Most “Knockout of the Night” awards in UFC history (7)

• Submission of the Night (Two times) vs. Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen

• Most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC Middleweight division history (12)

• Tied (Jim Miller) for the fifth most Post-Fight bonuses in UFC history (14)

• Longest win streak in UFC history (16)

• Longest win streak in UFC Middleweight division history (13)

• Longest finish streak in modern UFC history (8)

• Most finishes in UFC Middleweight division history (11)

• Tied (Uriah Hall & Thiago Santos) for most knockouts in UFC Middleweight division history (8)

• Tied (Israel Adesanya) for most knockdowns in UFC Middleweight division history (13)

• Tied (Jeremy Stephens) for second-most knockdowns in UFC history (18)

• Tied (Anthony Johnson & Thiago Santos) for third-most knockouts in modern UFC history (11)

• Tied (Dustin Poirier & Derrick Lewis) for the fifth most finishes in UFC history (14)

• Tied (Derek Brunson) for third-most wins in UFC Middleweight division history (14)

ESPN.com

• 2011 Knockout of the Year vs. Vitor Belfort on 5 February

Inside MMA

• 2011 KO Kick of the Year Bazzie Award vs. Vitor Belfort on 5 February

MMA Live

• 2010 Fight of the Year vs. Chael Sonnen on 7 August

Sherdog

• 2009 Beatdown of the Year vs. Forrest Griffin on 8 August

• 2011 All-Violence 1st Team

• Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame

Spike Guys’ Choice Awards

• 2008 Most Dangerous Man

Sports Illustrated

• 2008 Fighter of the Year

World MMA Awards

• 2008 Fighter of the Year

• 2010 Fight of the Year vs. Chael Sonnen on 7 August

• 2011 Knockout of the Year vs. Vitor Belfort on 5 February

Wrestling Observer Newsletter

• Most Outstanding Fighter (2012)

• MMA Most Valuable Fighter (2012)

Controversy

Suspension for positive drug test results

In January 2015, mixed martial artist Anderson Silva faced heavy consequences after testing positive for the anabolic steroids, Drostanolone and Androstane, in a pre-fight drug test. In February 2015, it was again confirmed that Silva had tested positive for another illegal substance related to UFC 183. Later on, post-fight tests revealed the recurring presence of Drostanolone, along with the anti-anxiety medication, Oxazepam, and a sleep aid, Temazepam. During his hearing, Silva justified the presence of Drostanolone as a tainted sexual enhancement product he got after a trip to Thailand. Despite presenting evidence of two passed drug tests, Silva’s defence was unable to explain the detection of androsterone in a January test. Consequently, the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) handed Silva a one-year suspension, fined him $380,000, and changed his fight status to a no-contest. By November 2017, Silva faced another setback, being pulled from a fight due to a failed USADA drug test. However, by July 2018, USADA attributed this failure to contaminated supplements, issuing a one-year retroactive suspension. ³

When you use the steroids, you use them for a long time. When you use steroids for a long time, you have a problem. It’s a drug and it’s not good for the sport.”

Property

Anderson Silva bought a home in 2015 at the hillside of Palos Verdes Estate in California. His house is worth $4.9 million and is spread across 7100 sq. feet in two levels. ⁴

Car Collection

• Chevrolet Camaro SS
  

  Silva with his Camaro

• Bentley Continental GT
  

  Silva bought a Bentley

• Audi A-6

• Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG
  

  Silva with his Mercedes

Bike Collection

• Yamaha YZF-R1
  

  Silva’s bike

• Modified Fat E-Bike
  

  Silva’s electric bike

• Customized fat bike
  

  Anderson’s cycle

• Customised Suzuki Hayabusa
  

  Silva’s customised bike

Salary/Income

Anderson Silva earns over $75,000 every month. ⁵

Net Worth

Anderson Silva is one of the richest MMA fighters, with an estimated Net Worth of $8 million. ⁶

Favourites

• Food: BigMac from McDonald’s

• Comic book character: Spider-Man

• Drink: Coffee

• Game: Call of Duty

• Fighter: Bruce Lee

• Football Club: Corinthian

• MMA Fighter: BJ Penn

Facts/Trivia

• Anderson Silva is famous by the nickname “The Spider” in the octagon, due to his love for the character of Spider-Man.

• Silva has his own YouTube channel with over 37k subscribers as of 2023.
  

  Anderson’s YouTube channel

• Silva is a big fan of comics and video games. He owns a big collection of action figures and different kinds of merchandise. He also enjoys playing video games and a owns gaming setup which he uses to stream live games on his Twitch channel.
  

  Silva’s action figure collection

  

  Silva live-streaming games

• Throughout the years he has earned titles in different martial arts such as Rank Black prajied in Muay Thai, a 3rd-degree black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Antônio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira, 5th dan black belt in Taekwondo, and Yellow rope in Capoeira.

• Silva owns his fitness supplement brand called Spider Kick. He also owns his own clothing and merchandise brand by the name of Spider Kick. People can contact and buy products and services from his website, https://www.spiderkick.com.
  

  Silva’s supplement brand

  

  Silva’s merchandise

• Anderson enjoys spending time in water activities like swimming and diving.
  

  Silva in a swimming pool

  

  Silva at a beach

• Silva has 2 dogs named Jupiter, a Lapponian herder, and Taya, a Bernese Mountain Dog.
  

  Silva’s dogs

• Silva is trained in using different kinds of guns and often practices firing at a Shooting Range.
  

  Silva at a shooting range

• Silva is a playable character in the EA Sports games, UFC 2, UFC 3, and UFC 4.
  

  Anderson Silva in UFC 3 game

• Anderson consumes a non-vegetarian based diet.
  

  Silva having his meal

• Anderson Silva owns his own gym called Spider Fit Academy.
  

  Spider Fit Academy

• He owns a Non-Profit charity organisation called “The Anderson Silva Foundation,” which was established in 2001 and focuses on raising funds and helping people and kids who are in need.

• Silva has published 2 books. In 2011 he published his book Mixed Martial Arts Instructional Manual and in 2011 he published his second book, MMA Instructional Manual by Anderson Silva. He also released various instructional DVDs to help people learn his way of martial arts.
  

  Silva’s book

  

  Anderson’s DVD

• In 2011, Anderson Silva became the first person to be promoted by 9INE, a company co-owned by Brazilian soccer star, Ronaldo. Silva is sponsored by the Corinthians football club and also has endorsements from Burger King. He had a past sponsorship with Nike, but it ended in 2014 when Nike left the UFC scene.
  

  Anderson endorses Burger King

• Anderson Silva took ballet lessons as a child and faced bullying from schoolmates because of it. He also let his sister dress him in her clothes, and due to his high-pitched voice, led some people to question his sexuality.

• Anderson Silva earned a title shot early in his career after just one fight. In his second match in Japan, he faced Hayato Sakurai, an undefeated fighter on a 20-fight win streak. Silva won easily by a unanimous decision.
  

  The fight between Anderson Silva and Hayato Sakurai

• Anderson Silva believes that in MMA, skill and respect are paramount. He has expressed that an individual’s sexual preferences are irrelevant in the sport and supports LGBTQ+ athletes across the globe. Silva believes that those who show respect will receive it in return, emphasizing the importance of talent and mutual respect over personal choices.

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