How did Anderson Silva get his nickname?
UFC legend Anderson Silva is popularly known as 'The Spider'. While many believe that Silva got the nickname because of his prolific fighting style and his entertaining showboating inside the octagon, the reality is different.
According to the former UFC middleweight champion, he was wearing a shirt with an image of Spiderman on it ahead of a fight. That's when an announcer told him he resembles the superhero on his shirt. To Silva's surprise, she announced him as 'Brazil's Spiderman' for the fight. Since then, Anderson Silva has adopted the nickname.
"Before a fight, I was wearing a shirt with Spiderman on it when an announcer came up and joked that I looked like the superhero on the shirt. To my surprise, when I entered the ring, she announced: Anderson Silva, Brazil’s Spiderman." -- Anderson Silva told Veja.abril.com.br. (Translated by Graciemag.com)
After spending almost 15 years with the UFC, Anderson Silva parted ways with the promotion in 2020. He was on a woeful run of three defeats in a row before leaving the UFC. However, Silva will always be considered one of the greatest fighters to ever grace the octagon. He was undefeated in 16 fights inside the octagon before finally succumbing to a devastating KO loss at the hands of Chris Weidman.
Anderson Silva has begun a new journey in the world of combat sports
Following his release from the UFC, Anderson Silva decided to try his luck in boxing, and the gamble well and truly paid off for him.
In March of this year, Anderson Silva announced his foray into boxing against Julio César Chávez Jr. and entered the ring with him on June 19. Chávez Jr failed to make weight, conceding $100,000 of his purse to Silva. 'The Spider' then shocked the world by beating Chavez Jr. via a split decision.
"You know, this is very special for me, especially because a lot of people think I'm old but I'm not old. I love my job, I love fighting, and when God continues to give me salute, I continue to do my job because the secret for you to be successful in life is not about listening to bad people, it's putting your heart in your job and working hard, and doing your best you can," said Silva after the fight.