Tag: Wanderlei Silva

On This Day: Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick – August 15, 2004

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick - August 15, 2004Twenty years ago to the day, Mirko Cro Cop delivered an iconic head kick against the highly skilled Russian-born…

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick - August 15, 2004

Twenty years ago to the day, Mirko Cro Cop delivered an iconic head kick against the highly skilled Russian-born Alexander Emelianenko. This would lead to a match between the Croatian kickboxer against the PRIDE FC world champion, brother of Alexander, Fedor Emelianenko.

Pride FC: Final Conflict 2004

The August 15 event was to be the finals of the Pride 2004 Heavyweight Grand Prix, set to feature the semi-finals and final match of the tournament. Fedor Emelianenko quickly subbed Naoya Ogawa while “Big Nog” Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira fought a full fifteen minutes against Russia’s Sergei Kharitonov. Nogueira and Fedor met in the finals, but the fight was called off as a No Contest due to an accidental cut. Thus, the other matches on the card became the memorable moments from this event.

Mirko Cro Cop Knocks Out Alexander Emelianenko with a Head Kick

Mirko Cro Cop Filipovi? was a standout fighter in K-1 Kickboxing. The Croatian-born fighter was a training partner of the first K-1 Champion Branko Cikati?. Fighting during the golden age of kickboxing, he had wars against some of the best kickboxers in history including Andy Hug, Ernesto Hoost, Peter Aerts, Ray Sefo, Remy Bonjasky, Mike Bernardo and Mark Hunt, and others.

But when Mirko Cro Cop transitioned to MMA and competed in PRIDE FC, then he became a megastar. It was his head kick knockouts from the southpaw that made him transcend and become a household name in Japan and among MMA fans. “Right kick hospital, left leg cemetery.”

Igor Vovchanchyn, Dos Caras Jr., and Heath Herring were knocked out by the heavy kicks of the Croatian fighter. But the unbeaten Alexander Emelianenko at a towering 6’3″ was expected to pose a new challenge. Instead, Mirko knocked him out with a signature head kick just two minutes into their meeting.

Wanderlei Silva Stomps Yuki Kondo

wanderlei yuki kondo

Maybe the most iconic knockout of the career of Wanderlei Silva. A brutal finish from the Vale Tudo fighter. Wanderlei knocks down the Pancrase veteran and then stomps him out on the canvas. An unforgettable image. Yuki Kondo is often dismissed as an easy win but Yuki Kondo was a veteran and this was the first time he’d lost by KO/TKO in his career. I’ve written at length about the BMF career of Yuki Kondo.

On This Day: Wanderlei Silva Delivers One of the Most Brutal Knockouts in History Against Kazushi Sakuraba – Aug. 10, 2003

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi…

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003

Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi Sakuraba. This was during the Pride Total Elimination 2003, a grand Prix that featured Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Chuck Liddell, among others.

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba

Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva was becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA at this time, he was about to become the face of PRIDE FC. A former Vale Tudo striker who was putting Chute Boxe on the map. Already having captured the PRIDE FC championship, he had defeated notable fighters previously such as Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Guy Mezger.

The 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix was a stacked tournament that featured major names such as Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura, Olympic Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, and the UFC entered their biggest name Chuck Liddell into the mix.

Kazushi Sakuraba had made a name for himself in MMA by becoming the Gracie hunter, out-grappling and defeating members of the Gracie family. Sometimes in incredible showcases such as when he faced Royce Gracie for 90 minutes. Later that same night, Sakuraba would compete once against facing the heavy-handed Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchyn.

Japan’s Sakuraba, a noted chain smoker, had a background as a professional wrestler. MMA wasn’t his true aim, but over time he would become a legend in the sport. Today, he would be about the size of a welterweight but at the time he competed against anyone of any size including heavyweights.

silva vs sakuraba

On this day, August 10, 2003, The Brazilian Wanderlei Silva had already defeated Sakuraba twice before, both by TKO. So the ending of this match was not a huge surprise, but the brutality of it was. A massive right hook, blistering speed, that looked to decapitate the Japanese grappler and snapped his neck to his shoulder. A cold-blooded knockout from Wanderlei Silva.

In the tournament, ‘Rampage’ Jackson defeated Chuck Liddel to reach the finals. From there, Wanderlei Silva delivered a barrage of knees to leave him slumped in the ropes with an iconic knockout.

Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003

Also featured at the August 10, 2003, Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003 event was heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Gary Goodridge. Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Igor Vovchanchyn with a head kick.

On This Day: Wanderlei Silva Delivers One of the Most Brutal Knockouts in History Against Kazushi Sakuraba – Aug. 10, 2003

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi…

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003

Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi Sakuraba. This was during the Pride Total Elimination 2003, a grand Prix that featured Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Chuck Liddell, among others.

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba

Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva was becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA at this time, he was about to become the face of PRIDE FC. A former Vale Tudo striker who was putting Chute Boxe on the map. Already having captured the PRIDE FC championship, he had defeated notable fighters previously such as Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Guy Mezger.

The 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix was a stacked tournament that featured major names such as Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura, Olympic Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, and the UFC entered their biggest name Chuck Liddell into the mix.

Kazushi Sakuraba had made a name for himself in MMA by becoming the Gracie hunter, out-grappling and defeating members of the Gracie family. Sometimes in incredible showcases such as when he faced Royce Gracie for 90 minutes. Later that same night, Sakuraba would compete once against facing the heavy-handed Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchyn.

Japan’s Sakuraba, a noted chain smoker, had a background as a professional wrestler. MMA wasn’t his true aim, but over time he would become a legend in the sport. Today, he would be about the size of a welterweight but at the time he competed against anyone of any size including heavyweights.

silva vs sakuraba

On this day, August 10, 2003, The Brazilian Wanderlei Silva had already defeated Sakuraba twice before, both by TKO. So the ending of this match was not a huge surprise, but the brutality of it was. A massive right hook, blistering speed, that looked to decapitate the Japanese grappler and snapped his neck to his shoulder. A cold-blooded knockout from Wanderlei Silva.

In the tournament, ‘Rampage’ Jackson defeated Chuck Liddel to reach the finals. From there, Wanderlei Silva delivered a barrage of knees to leave him slumped in the ropes with an iconic knockout.

Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003

Also featured at the August 10, 2003, Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003 event was heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Gary Goodridge. Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Igor Vovchanchyn with a head kick.

On This Day: Wanderlei Silva Delivers One of the Most Brutal Knockouts in History Against Kazushi Sakuraba – Aug. 10, 2003

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi…

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba PRIDE 2003

Wanderlei Silvas was in his prime in 2003, and he showed his feared power by brutally knocking out Kazushi Sakuraba. This was during the Pride Total Elimination 2003, a grand Prix that featured Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Alistair Overeem, and Chuck Liddell, among others.

Wanderlei Silva knocks out Kazushi Sakuraba

Brazil’s Wanderlei Silva was becoming one of the biggest stars in MMA at this time, he was about to become the face of PRIDE FC. A former Vale Tudo striker who was putting Chute Boxe on the map. Already having captured the PRIDE FC championship, he had defeated notable fighters previously such as Dan Henderson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and Guy Mezger.

The 2003 PRIDE Grand Prix was a stacked tournament that featured major names such as Wanderlei Silva, Alistair Overeem, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, former UFC champion Murilo Bustamante, RINGS legend Kiyoshi Tamura, Olympic Medalist Hidehiko Yoshida, and the UFC entered their biggest name Chuck Liddell into the mix.

Kazushi Sakuraba had made a name for himself in MMA by becoming the Gracie hunter, out-grappling and defeating members of the Gracie family. Sometimes in incredible showcases such as when he faced Royce Gracie for 90 minutes. Later that same night, Sakuraba would compete once against facing the heavy-handed Ukrainian Igor Vovchanchyn.

Japan’s Sakuraba, a noted chain smoker, had a background as a professional wrestler. MMA wasn’t his true aim, but over time he would become a legend in the sport. Today, he would be about the size of a welterweight but at the time he competed against anyone of any size including heavyweights.

silva vs sakuraba

On this day, August 10, 2003, The Brazilian Wanderlei Silva had already defeated Sakuraba twice before, both by TKO. So the ending of this match was not a huge surprise, but the brutality of it was. A massive right hook, blistering speed, that looked to decapitate the Japanese grappler and snapped his neck to his shoulder. A cold-blooded knockout from Wanderlei Silva.

In the tournament, ‘Rampage’ Jackson defeated Chuck Liddel to reach the finals. From there, Wanderlei Silva delivered a barrage of knees to leave him slumped in the ropes with an iconic knockout.

Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003

Also featured at the August 10, 2003, Pride FC: Total Elimination 2003 event was heavyweight great Fedor Emelianenko knocking out Gary Goodridge. Chuck Liddell knocked out Alistair Overeem, Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira defeated UFC champion Ricco Rodriguez, and Mirko Cro Cop knocked out Igor Vovchanchyn with a head kick.

Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen squash their beef, ending one of the UFC’s most iconic rivalries

Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen squash their beef and ending one of the UFC's most iconic feudsThe longstanding feud between MMA icons Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen has been squashed. Silva and Sonnen’s rivalry was…

Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen squash their beef and ending one of the UFC's most iconic feuds

The longstanding feud between MMA icons Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen has been squashed.

Silva and Sonnen’s rivalry was among the most personal beefs in UFC history with ‘The Axe Murderer’ taking great offense to some disparaging remarks the three-time title challenger said about Silva’s native Brazil and his mentors, the Nogueira brothers.

Things reached a boiling point in 2014 when the two were paired up to coach against one another on The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil. During the production, Sonnen and Silva famously brawled while on-set in what has become one of the most meme’d moments in combat sports history.

In 2017, the two finally settled things under the Bellator banner with Sonnen squeaking out a unanimous decision victory over the former PRIDE middleweight champion.

Sonnen vs. Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva confirms ‘the rivalry is done’ with Chael Sonnen

While walking the red carpet at the UFC Hall of Fame ceremony in Las Vegas last month, Silva was asked about his legendary feud with Sonnen, who was also in attendance to see his inaugural clash against ‘The Spider’ inducted into the HoF.

There, ‘The Axe Murderer’ revealed that the two men have since ended their once fiery feud, calling Sonnen “a good guy.”

“If I encounter him right now, we have a free fight,” Silva said with a laugh. “It’s a joke. He’s a good guy. I like him. The rivalry is done” (h/t MMA Junkie).

Chael Sonnen fought three more times in Bellator following his win over Silva, going 1-2 before hanging up his gloves for good. The American Gangster’ recently made his boxing debut in Brazil, squaring off with Anderson Silva in an exhibition bout.

Though the fight failed to live up to the hype, it was still exciting to see two of the sports’ greatest stars — albeit for very different reasons — meet the final time.

Chael Sonnen

10 years after declaring Wanderlei Silva will never be in the Hall of Fame, Dana White to induct ‘The Axe Murderer’

Wanderlei SilvaDana White believes combat sports icon Wanderlei Silva has earned his spot in the UFC Hall of Fame. During…

Wanderlei Silva

Dana White believes combat sports icon Wanderlei Silva has earned his spot in the UFC Hall of Fame.

During the UFC 298 broadcast on Saturday night, ‘The Axe Murderer’ was announced as the next inductee into the 2024 Hall of Fame class. Speaking with the media during his appearance at a post-fight press event, White was adamant that Silva’s contributions to the sport, particularly in its infancy, more than warrant his HoF induction.

“He deserves to be. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” White said of Silva. “Back when me and the Fertitas got into this sport and we were huge Wanderlei Silva fans and you know everybody that was a hardcore fan back then was a big fan of Pride and you know a lot of big stars came out of there and Wanderlei has done a lot for the sport in the early days and he deserves to be in there.”

Interestingly, Silva’s Hall of Fame announcement comes a decade after the UFC CEO once declared that the former PRIDE middleweight champion would never find his name listed in the hallowed halls.

In September 2014, the Nevada State Athletic Commission handed Silva a lifelong ban and a $70,000 fine for allegedly running away from a random drug test earlier in the year.  An incensed White said in a later interview that Silva’s career was forever tarnished and as a result, he would never be inducted.

“Nobody has ever run from a drug test before. I didn’t see a lifetime ban coming. Nobody will let him fight. He’s in a very serious situation,” White said about Silva when speaking to Fox Sports. “There’s going to be no Hall of Fame. The guy’s been Pete Rose’d. There’s going to be no Hall of Fame offers.”

Asked about his past comments, White admitted that he had simply forgotten about his beef with Silva.

“I’ve been in so many beefs with so many people that I didn’t even remember that till you just told me,” White added. “It’s a good thing I forgot it’s a good thing you forgot exactly.”

Silva, who was in attendance at UFC 298, was nothing short of grateful for the honor bestowed upon him by his former employer.

“It’s a dream come true to be part of the sport,” Silva said. “And to have this great support from this beautiful organization. Thanks so much, Dana White, for all what you’re doing for us. I’m so glad to be a part of the best event in the world” (h/t MiddleEasy).

Wanderlei Silva’s legendary career began in Japan where he held the PRIDE middleweight championship for an unprecedented six years. During his run, he competed against a series of bonafide legends, including Mirko Cro Cop, Kazushi Sakuraba, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson, Mark Hunt, Ricardo Arona, and Dan Henderson.

After his title run in PRIDE came to a close, ‘The Axe Murderer’ signed with the UFC and immediately delivered a Fight of the Year with Chuck Liddell at UFC 79. He would go on to compete against a who’s who of Octagon icons such as Rich Franklin, Michael Bisping, Cung Le, Chris Leben, and Brian Stann.

His last fight came under the Bellator banner in 2018. He closed out his career by going 35-14 with 27 wins by knockout.