Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
While Anderson Silva will step foot inside of the Octagon for the final time later tonight (Sat., Oct. 31, 2020) at UFC Vegas 12 his past accomplishments will never be forgotten.
Before dominant champions like Jon Jones and Khabib Nurmagomedov put a stranglehold on their respective divisions Silva was calling the shots at middleweight. After making a successful Octagon debut against Chris Leben all the way back in 2006 “Spider” captured the middleweight title over Rich Franklin just four months later, won his next 13 fights over the span of six years, defended the title 10 times, and became the biggest star in the sport.
While today’s casual fight fan may not understand the importance of Silva and what he’s accomplished inside of the cage the most loyal combat supporters know all too well. Silva was, and arguably remains, the greatest fighter in MMA history. “Spider” certainly has some company by his side, but Silva’s reign at 185 pounds is still one of the most ridiculous win streaks ever.
In advance to Silva’s final UFC fight the promotion has released the above video showcasing the Brazilian’s unforgettable rise to stardom. In just a few short years Silva transformed from UFC newcomer to full-blown MMA superstar, helping bring UFC to an entirely new level in mainstream sports.
It is going to be bittersweet to see Silva make his final walk to the Octagon later tonight against Hall at UFC Vegas 12, but the time has come. Silva is now 45 years of age, has won just one fight since 2012, and has already passed the torch to current UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 12 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 7 p.m. ET.