Uriah Hall vs Anderson Silva: The night a legend's UFC career ended
Anderson Silva made his last appearance in the UFC last October when Uriah Hall defeated him via TKO. 'The Spider' left the promotion as one of the best MMA fighters ever.
Although the 45-year-old did not confirm his retirement from mixed martial arts, both the UFC and Silva acknowledged that the bout with Hall was his final performance in the promotion.
In the UFC, Silva was once regarded as the best MMA fighter ever after he kept a winning streak of 16 matches while defending the UFC middleweight title in ten of them.
But a severe injury fighting against Chris Weidman in 2013 caused Silva's career to derail. The bout with Hall, seven years later, happened after a sequence of four defeats and only one victory for 'The Spider.'
Anderson Silva vs. Uriah Hall
UFC Vegas 12 took place on October 31, 2020, in the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Besides the bout between Anderson Silva versus Uriah Hall, the event had Kevin Holland and Greg Hardy as other fan-favorite names.
The road to the fight was one of the most respectful that the UFC has ever seen. Hall is a big fan of Silva and had no problem showing the respect and admiration he holds for his idol throughout the bout's promotion.
Both fighters are distinguished strikers, and their duel reflected that. Although the fight started cold, things warmed up by the end of the first round, when Anderson Silva started to get loose and connect some punches.
However, as a skilled counterpuncher, Hall soon started to get in control of the bout as Silva's movements were not as quick as they used to be. 'The Spider' was saved by the bell at the end of the third round only to fall after less than two minutes into the fourth.
With another of Hall's punches connecting, Anderson Silva was sent to the canvas. The former UFC middleweight champion could not react while Hall stood on top of him, unleashing blows to Silva's face, making referee Herb Dean stop the fight.
Like before the bout, the demonstrations of sportsmanship and recognition among Anderson Silva and Uriah Hall continued. Hall hugged Silva while declaring his love for him and saying that Silva is still one of the greatest.
It is a shame that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the greatest fighters in UFC's history had to make his last performance behind closed doors. With his unorthodox and risky moves, Silva was one who always fought for the fans. He will surely be missed in the octagon.
Anderson Silva's MMA future
Even though the UFC and Anderson Silva himself admitted that the fight against Uriah Hall was his last, 'The Spider' struggled to do the same about his career. He preferred to leave future possibilities open.
"I don't know," Silva said. "First, I go back home and go see with my team and everything. Let's see. Because it's tough to say it's my last or not. This is my air. This is what I do for my entire life and with my heart. Let's go see."
Anderson Silva lost eight out of his last nine UFC fights. The 45-year-old MMA fighter pursued a chance of joining the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, but no deal was reached. Silva has still not announced his retirement.