Does Anderson Silva Still Fight? What happened to Anderson Silva?

Anderson Silva finds it difficult to use the word "retirement" when he is still pursuing his combat sports career. Following a TKO loss to Uriah Hall, the 46-year-old Brazilian, who was regarded as one of the greatest UFC champions of all time, was released from the promotion.

However, he wasn't quite ready to commit to the end of his MMA career at the time. Silva has reconciled with putting MMA behind him a few months later, though his combat sports career isn't over. He does not appear to be planning an exit to combat sports anytime soon.

History

A former longtime UFC middleweight champion and future UFC Hall of Famer. Silva, 46, retires from MMA with a record of 34-11 in his professional career. He holds the record for the longest win streak in UFC history.

'The Spider' signed with the UFC in 2006 and went on to win the UFC middleweight title that same year at UFC 64. He won 26 of his 46 fights by knockout or submission.

Silva's passion for combat sports has been renewed since parting ways with the promotion, though, with a switch to the boxing world. He defeated fellow ex-UFC champion Tito Ortiz at the Triller Fight Club co-main event in Hollywood, Florida and he also upset Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a fight last year.

He told TMZ in a statement that he still has a lot of fights left in him. The Brazilian has no idea how many fights there will be but on the other hand, he said the only hard rule he's set for himself is to retire by the age of 49.

Quotes

"My goal is to have my last fight at the age of 49." "I'm done at 49. I'm probably done. That is my objective. Three more years of combat and you're done. 49. That's the figure. Maybe I'll be able to fight more, but for now, my goal is to stop fighting when I turn 49." He said to TMZ.

Silva could retire at any time without throwing another blow. But he's still eager to fulfill a lifelong ambition in boxing. In an interview with MMA fighting, Silva said he is not fighting to prove something for anybody. He said he wants to inspire many people.

“The problem in this sport, the people don’t respect the fighters, especially the old generation. I think everything I do for MMA is done. I’m happy but I’m not fighting anymore in MMA. Definitely not.” He added.

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Future

As a boxer, Silva has long considered moving into the sport, but he's now joining a growing list of MMA fighters who have expressed an interest in it including Former UFC heavyweight champions Stipe Miocic, Junior dos Santos and Ben Askren.

Silva can't say what the future holds for his own boxing career but he understands why so many MMA fighters are interested in the sport these days, especially with the attention people are getting right now.

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Accomplishments

Silva, 46, retires from MMA with a record of 34-11 in his professional career. He holds the record for the longest win streak in UFC history (16).

'The Spider' signed with the UFC in 2006 and went on to win the UFC middleweight title that same year at UFC 64. He won 26 of his 46 fights by knockout or submission.

Anderson Silva is one of the mixed martial arts' most decorated athletes. He recently stated that he will continue to fight boxing for the rest of his career and that a return to MMA is unlikely.

Overview of Anderson Silva UFC

Consider how many times Dana White and Joe Rogan have called Anderson Silva the "Greatest of All Time." Yeah, I'm having difficulties recalling everything, but it's a lot.

And for most of his professional life, the man known as "The Spider" certainly looked the part. Anderson's UFC title reign was memorable, as it included a record-breaking 10 successful defenses of his belt (a record that was ultimately broken by Demetrious Johnson). During roughly 2500 days, he accumulated a 16-bout victory run (daring to fight some fighters up at LHW in the process), which lasted until Chris Weidman entered the picture. And, of course, the United States Anti-Doping Agency.

Anderson's first public debut was in Japan in 2001, when he defeated the legendary and then-defending Shooto middleweight (168lbs) champion Hayato "Mach" Sakurai in an exhibition battle. This achievement earned him entry into the prestigious Pride FC ranks, but he was unable to capitalize on his opportunity (aside from his famous entrances impersonating Michael Jackson), defeating Carlos Newton but losing to Daiju Takase and infamously being the victim of Ryo Chonan's flying scissor heel hook, among other misfortunes.

Silva then nursed his wounds in the Cage Rage octagon before storming over to the UFC and putting together a remarkable run that even casual combat sports fans were aware of.

The Government's Overthrow

When Silva was set to make his UFC debut against Chris Leben, the bulk of the American audience was absolutely unaware of his true ability. Despite the fact that his Cage Rage 16 KO of Tony Fryklund went viral (in 2006, Twitter had only recently launched, so virality wasn't exactly what it is now), his professional MMA debut was only somewhat anticipated by the media and more knowledgeable MMA fan base. Kampfmeister Leben was on a roll with a five-bout winning streak, and he promised to "send him back to Japan where the competition is less difficult" before the fight. Christos was pummeled and destroyed by The Spider in 49 seconds of exceptional performance, a very short period of time in which The Spider was able to display his incredible precision, world-class striking skill set, and countering abilities.

Following the beating, he was granted an immediate chance to defend his title against then-champion Rich Franklin. Clearly, Silva was Franklin's most toughest opponent to date, as proven by the fact that he was knocked out in the first round by the Brazilian. With a stunning knee from the corner, Silva took the belt away from him (and shattered his nose in the process). Anderson's horror reign had officially begun. From the Leben fight until the James Irvin fight three years later, just three people made it out of the first round, and none made it out of the second.

Ultra-tough In the second round, Dan Henderson was knocked out. In the rematch with Franklin, he was thrashed in the second round. Travis Lutter, a grappler, got caught in a triangle and elbowed out of it by his opponent.

Anderson then decided to go up a weight class, only to demolish James Irvin in less than 2 minutes after doing so. Silva, who is now widely regarded as the best fighter on the globe, went on to have a string of underwhelming victories in which he was either excessively cautious or battled without any sense of urgency. Despite this, he was head and shoulders above his opponents due to his world-class skill set.

In his prime, The Spider was a quick-thinking counter-attacker who could punch, knee, kick, and elbow his opponents in devastating fashion, allowing him to control the fight. Despite being a southpaw who liked to switch positions, he was a very accurate fighter who was patient and has exceptional boxing abilities. He also has excellent head movement and a typically smooth defensive game. He fought with a lot of confidence, frequently making fun of his opponents and appearing arrogant at times. Silva also studied traditional martial arts, since he possessed a black belt in Taekwondo, as well as Capoeira, which resulted in an unusual combat style. As a competent grappler (he has a BJJ black belt under Minotauro Nogueira), he could rely on his ground ability even late in a fight, as he displayed in his debut against Chael Sonnen (see below) (more on that later).

Nike and Steven Seagal's Ascension to Superstardom

Anderson Silva, to be clear, was literally putting his own twist on his opponents' clothes. His demolition of previous LHW champion Forrest Griffin was enthralling, and he seemed to be at the top of his abilities during the match. He began taking down the larger man after a few periods of acquiring a feel for the situation, remaining right in front of him with his hands low, dodging every blow that came his way and reacting in devastating fashion. Griffin was ultimately knocked out by the attacker's short, retreating right hand. Anderson has finally found a strong opponent with whom to build a rivalry, which is one of the factors that contributes to the establishment of a legacy. This came on the heels of another odd performance against BJJ standout Demain Maia.

Chael Sonnen happened to appear, which turned out to be a blessing in disguise for him since the 'American Gangster' really embraced the role of the villain. Throughout the buildup to the battle, Chael made nasty statements about Silva, his country, and close friends like the Nogueira brothers. The individual from Oregon was able to elevate the prominence of the fight so much that it was already being labeled as a blockbuster before the fight ever happened.

And it did it in a way that far beyond everyone's expectations.

Silva had been battered for 22 minutes on the ground and seemed to be on his way to losing his title until Sonnen got him in a triangle armbar with around 2 minutes left in the fight. Silva was on the verge of losing his belt. In spectacular fashion, a great comeback success with a movie-like atmosphere was achieved.

As a consequence of this, and much more so as a result of his encounter with Vitor Belfort, Silva's notoriety would rise. The fight between Silva and Belfort was short and sweet, with Silva knocking out Belfort with a powerful front kick to the head. He grew to prominence and became the first MMA fighter to sign a contract with Nike. Of course, we're talking about Nike, which is recognized for creating some of the world's most famous athletes. He starred in a couple Nike football commercials alongside football players such as Cristiano Ronaldo to promote the brand.

Steven Seagal, the action movie legend, was also engaged in the equation, claiming to be Silva's sensei and repeatedly mentioning how he taught him how to utilize the front kick against Belfort and other similar things. Silva also launched a boxing campaign against the legendary Roy Jones Jr, who was eager to take on the MMA Kingpin. The bout was won by Silva.

To keep his winning streak going and strengthen his reputation, Silva defeated Yushin Okami and Chael Sonnen in rematches, as well as Stephan Bonnar with relative ease in another light heavyweight showcase fight, generating even more conjecture about him being the best of all time. Only Father Time has stayed unbeaten in the sport of MMA. He'd learn the hard way, just like every other legend before him.

Twilight Has Arrived, And Legacy Has Been Shattered

Silva lost his belt to Chris Weidman the way it should have been lost: by being himself.

Weidman, although being 30 years old, was younger and stronger than everyone else. Chris was undaunted by The Spider's antics, and he took full advantage of a daring, hands-down Silva, knocking him out cold with a left hook that caught him completely off guard. The anticipated rematch turned out to be much worse for the now-former champ, who shattered his leg after being halted with a low kick by Weidman.

Many people thought Anderson should have retired at the age of 38, but Anderson is a determined man who honestly believed he could still compete at the top of the sport. When he returned, he faced off against Stockton's own Nick Diaz, winning the fight before it was found that he had tested positive for drugs. Naturally, individuals interested in mixed martial arts were outraged by the disclosure (MMA).  People immediately began to question his whole career and accomplishments, which is understandable given the circumstances. People began to turn against him after that, and it appears that this harmed his legacy to the point that he rapidly became unimportant to the ever-growing MMA fan base, at a time when fighters like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor were attaining incredible levels of celebrity and popularity.

He was suspended for a year before returning to the cage to face Michael Bisping in London, a tremendous fight with yet another strange plot twist. Silva knocked Bisping out with a flying knee in the last second of Round 3 to end the bout on the buzzer. However, referee Herb Dean ruled it after the bell, and 'The Count' was permitted to fight into Round 4 and earn the judges' verdict, which this writer believes he should not have earned. When you have a fight as competitive as this, it just adds to Silva's reputation, especially since Bisping went on to win Silva's old belt in his following fight.

Silva defeated Daniel Cormier in the main event of UFC 200, salvaging the show after Jon Jones failed a drugs test with only two days' notice owing to Jon Jones' inability to present. He was lost by decision after putting up a spirited battle and ending aggressively. Silva fought twice again in 2019 at the age of 44, losing to Israel Adesanya (despite putting up a heroic effort) and Jacannonier, in which he was seriously injured by a low kick for the second time.

Conclusion

Anderson's incredible career and legendary events, despite the fact that it hasn't officially ended, don't stand up when it comes to establishing him as the best fighter of all time. And that's fine with me.' The Spider' defeated well-known figures like as Dan Henderson, Hayato Sakurai, Vitor Belfort, and Carlos Newton, but others gained a more remarkable CV in the process.

But that doesn't change the fact that his championship run is one of the greatest in sports history. When he was at his best, Anderson was able to display everything that made him an all-time great. He had some incredible-looking triumphs, and he looked to be from another planet at times.

He was still ranked seventh on my list, but substantially lower on the lists of the majority of my fellow writers, and I can see why. If I'm being really honest, after evaluating my rating and taking into account recent fights, I'd drop him out of the top 10 for the time being, especially with Khabib making significant waves. Once the countdown is over, the Fight Site team will be reassessing Khabib's legacy, so stay tuned for updates!

Anderson "The Spider" Silva will be remembered as one of the all-time greats in mixed martial arts history when everything is said and done. He's done a lot to help it achieve public attention, has taken MMA sponsorship to a whole new level, and has acted as an inspiration to a bevy of aspiring fighters. The UFC fighter who holds the record for the organization's longest winning streak undoubtedly belongs among the top 20 MMA fighters of all time.