Top 5 Anderson Silva UFC finishes

Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva is one of the greatest fighters of all-time. Although the former UFC middleweight champion has retired from MMA, he’s still actively competing in boxing matches. During his legendary career, Silva left fans astonished with what they had just witnessed. He was doing things in the octagon that were unthinkable at the time and set a high standard for greatness in MMA.

Regardless of the weight-class he was competing in, ‘The Spider’ never deviated from his fighting style. As a result, UFC fans were treated to some of the most remarkable knockouts and submissions.

Silva finished a number of durable strikers in the stand-up with his unorthodox movements and attacks. And when Silva was matched up with wrestlers that could take him down, it didn’t faze him at all. He was more than comfortable fighting off his back and submitting those fighters on the ground. This list will look at Anderson Silva's top-5 UFC finishes.

#5) Silva knocks out Chris Leben – UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5

June 28th, 2006: Anderson Silva dominates in his UFC debut against Chris Leben 👊💥

(via @ufc)
https://t.co/jVpSGU7aGv

Kicking off this list is Anderson Silva's knockout win over Chris Leben. The bout is remembered for being Silva’s UFC debut, which turned out to be an absolute statement. UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5 was the sight of this remarkable highlight-reel knockout that introduced Silva to a North American audience.

Silva was too quick for Leben as he connected with combinations that left 'The Crippler' stunned. After a swift head kick, Silva dropped Leben with a combination and continued his onslaught on the ground. Leben had no answer for Silva’s elite striking.

Silva waited for Leben to get back up and continued putting pressure on him. Moments later, Silva then connected with an uppercut and a powerful knee to Leben’s head. The rest was history.

Anderson Silva made his UFC debut against Chris Leben in 2006.

Nearly 15 years later, Leben reflected on the fight with a great line 😁 (via @ChrisLebenMMA) https://t.co/ZQRxeoRErl

By no means was Leben an easy fight for Silva's debut. Leben was riding a 6-fight winning streak and was unbeaten in the UFC. The win was the first of many for ‘The Spider’ and a sign of things to come. The finish kick-started a legendary UFC career that last 15 years, with Silva having been unbeaten in 7 of those years.