5 reasons why Israel Adesanya may never surpass Anderson Silva as the UFC middleweight GOAT

Israel Adesanya [left] and Anderson Silva [right]

After a comprehensive victory over Marvin Vettori at UFC 263, Israel Adesanya solidified his standing as the undisputed king of the middleweights in the UFC right now.

Adesanya still has challenges in front of him, such as a rematch against former champion Robert Whittaker, but he is clearly on the path to greatness - if he isn't there already. Several fans and experts believe that 'The Last Stylebender' can even surpass Anderson Silva, who is widely regarded as the greatest UFC middleweight of all time.

However, despite a few factors suggesting otherwise, Israel Adesanya may never be able to match the legacy of Anderson Silva in the UFC's middleweight division. Here are five reasons why.

#5 Anderson Silva ushered in an era of UFC and MMA superstars, while Israel Adesanya didn't need to

Israel Adesanya is probably the second-biggest draw in the UFC right now after former two-division champion Conor McGregor. And while 'The Last Stylebender' is certainly one of the biggest stars MMA has ever seen, he is fortunate to be part of the UFC while it has already been boosted by big names like McGregor, Brock Lesnar, Jon Jones, Georges St-Pierre and Chuck Liddell.

Anderson Silva, on the other hand, was a trendsetter in many ways - a person who rapidly increased the popularity of the UFC despite joining it very late in his career. Hailing from Brazil, he had a massive global impact as well, inspiring a section of fans and fighters to follow the sport.

Of course, the original legends like Royce Gracie and Ken Shamrock had blazed a path for the promotion, but Silva's eye-catching knockouts and entertaining fighting style brought a horde of fans to MMA and the UFC.

GOAT status must also consider impact outside the octagon, and Anderson Silva has the edge in this regard.