Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight champion, Anderson Silva, recently completed another item on his ever-shrinking bucket list, becoming a United States citizen during Tuesday’s ceremony in Los Angeles.
Also taking the oath were Silva’s son and daughter, Kalyl and Kaory, though his wife Dayane and their three other children are still going through the naturalization process. “The Spider” was born in Sao Paolo but raised in Curitiba, Brazil.
“I feel very happy, you know, it’s a great moment for me and my family,” Silva said (via Associated Press). “I have my family in Brazil. I have my mom and my brothers in Brazil. But I think this is my country now.”
Silva (34-10, 1 NC) and his family currently live in Los Angeles, not far from where “The Spider” opened his Muay Thai College back in 2013. The 44 year-old striker has not competed since a technical knockout loss to Jared Cannonier back in May, but is expected to make his Octagon return later this year.
Perhaps with the American flag in tow?