"No one was even close" - Khabib Nurmagomedov on what made Anderson Silva such a special fighter
During a recent conversation with Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov gave his take on Anderson Silva.
In an interview with EA Sports, Khabib Nurmagomedov claimed that Anderson Silva was one of the best. 'The Eagle' suggested the Brazilian was the most exciting fighter in the UFC during his prime.
Khabib Nurmagomedov also said he was always impressed by Anderson Silva's incredible style and fascinated by his technique.
"Anderson was very exciting fighter. Most exciting in the UFC at the time. No one was even close, no one. Anderson, he was like, he was doing all this tricky style, you know karate style."
According to the former UFC lightweight champion, when people watched Anderson Silva compete, they saw a real mixed martial artist.
Khabib Nurmagomedov went on to state that Silva's style was almost similar to Muhammad Ali's and even praised the former UFC middleweight champion for his incredible performance against Forrest Griffin back in the day.
"People, when [they] watch him they see real mixed martial arts. He use his Thai clinch, he use his elbow, knee. He uses like, Muhammad Ali style. Remember when he fought Forrest Griffin? And he's like, this guy is one another level. Even now, nobody has a 16-win streak like him. This guy don't lose long time. He was one of my favorite fighter to watch."
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov and Daniel Cormier discussing Anderson Silva below:
"Most exciting fighter in UFC at that time. No one was even close. No one."
@TeamKhabib x @dc_mma discuss the greatness of @SpiderAnderson and what made him so special ⭐
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Anderson Silva left the UFC in 2020
Anderson Silva departed the UFC after suffering his third straight defeat in the promotion. 'The Spider' had been an integral part of the company and made his UFC debut back in 2006 against Chris Leben.
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During the prime stage of his career, Anderson Silva won the UFC middleweight title and also shared the octagon with some of the biggest names in the sport, including Chael Sonnen, Vitor Belfort and Demian Maia.
In the latter stages of his UFC career, Anderson Silva faced the likes of Israel Adesanya. 'The Spider' is currently competing in the world of boxing, where he defeated fellow former UFC champion Tito Ortiz in September.