'I think MMA is done for me'- UFC legend Anderson Silva distances himself from the sport that made him famous
Anderson Silva's storied MMA career might be over at last. The Spider no longer intends to be a part of the competitive sphere of MMA. But enjoying the art of fighting across different combat sports is on his agenda.
In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani of ESPN, Anderson Silva admitted that he might be done with MMA for good. The veteran fighter turned 46 years old in April 2021 and understands that it is not easy for him to train and compete at the levels he used to.
Silva added that he plans to try his hand at other combat sports:
"I think MMA for me is done, you know. Because it's hard to train in MMA. It's hard to stay in training at a good level. Because you hurt yourself a lot. Now I just need to enjoy. I don't need to prove nothing for anybody. I just try to enjoy every single moment I fight in different sports, and that's it," Anderson Silva said.
Widely regarded as the best middleweight in MMA history, Anderson Silva is a former UFC middleweight champion. He holds the record for the longest UFC winning streak (16), longest title reign (2457 days) and most finishes in title fights (9) by any fighter.
The title loss and leg injury in the Chris Weidman fights significantly affected Anderson Silva's later career. The 46-year-old last competed against Uriah Hall in October 2020 and lost the fight via TKO in the fourth round. Following the loss, Anderson Silva was granted his request and released from his UFC contract to pursue fighting with other organizations.
Anderson Silva is expected to compete against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in a boxing match on July 19. He previously boxed on the regional circuit earlier in his career and holds a 1-1 record in the sport.
Anderson Silva is one of the fighters on Georges St-Pierre's Mount Rushmore of MMA
Anderson Silva's dominant title reign and unparalleled records are overshadowed by an unsuccessful stint in his later career. The Spider lost seven out of his last nine fights in the UFC after losing the title to Chris Weidman in 2013.
However, Georges St-Pierre believes that The Brazilian is one of the five fighters that is worthy of adorning the Mount Rushmore of MMA because of his contribution to the sport.
Long-reigning champions tend to lose their dominance over time as the divisions eventually catch up. Jon Jones, Jose Aldo and Georges St-Pierre are some of the champions that saw the margin of victories narrow down as their title reigns progressed.
Anderson Silva is the only dominant champion in UFC history that was able to retain his finishing ability throughout his long title reign. GSP reasons that Silva is the most flamboyant fighter in UFC history. He also praised Silva for giving highlight-reel moments to the sport like no other fighter:
"Who was the most flamboyant? I think Anderson Silva, because he had some crazy highlight reels," Georges St-Pierre said.