The Brazilian congressional elections, featuring candidate and MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, have concluded after a weekend of vote-tallying. Silva ran for a seat in the Brazilian congress in his home state of Paraná in his second attempt at winning poli…
The Brazilian congressional elections, featuring candidate and MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, have concluded after a weekend of vote-tallying. Silva ran for a seat in the Brazilian congress in his home state of Paraná in his second attempt at winning political office. He ran back in 2018 for the same seat, falling short with just 0.24%…
Thor Silva, the son of MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, made a triumphant first appearance in the cage on Sunday at Fight Music Show 2. Thor made his amateur MMA debut against bantamweight Gabriel Bonfim at FMS 2 on Sunday in Curitiba, BR. He won his amateu…
Thor Silva, the son of MMA legend Wanderlei Silva, made a triumphant first appearance in the cage on Sunday at Fight Music Show 2. Thor made his amateur MMA debut against bantamweight Gabriel Bonfim at FMS 2 on Sunday in Curitiba, BR. He won his amateur kickboxing debut back in May against Gabriel Ferreira at…
Thor Silva, the son of former Pride FC middleweight kingpin and Grand Prix victor, as well as UFC and Bellator alum, Wanderlei Silva, kick started his amateur mixed martial arts career in typical family fashion – scoring a knockout victory over his opponent in his native Brazil. Thor Silva, the son of all-time sport icon, […]
Thor Silva, the son of former Pride FC middleweight kingpin and Grand Prix victor, as well as UFC and Bellator alum, Wanderlei Silva, kick started his amateur mixed martial arts career in typical family fashion – scoring a knockout victory over his opponent in his native Brazil.
Thor Silva, the son of all-time sport icon, Wanderlei, featured for the first time as an amateur mixed martial artist at on the undercard of Fight Music Show 2 in his native Brazil, defeating Gabriel Bonfim with first round ground strikes.
The event also marked the professional boxing debut of former UFC, Strikeforce, Invicta FC, and current Bellator MMA featherweight champion, Cris Cyborg, who topped the card against Simeone Silva – securing a unanimous decision victory of her own, as she makes her first venture into professional boxing.
Thor Silva displays his wrestling acumen en route to a first round win
Expertly utilizing a single leg takedown to plant Bonfim on the canvas, Thor SIlva then managed to work his way to full mount, before posturing and unloading with a series of ground strikes to Bonfim, securing an opening round TKO victory in his amateur mixed martial arts debut.
As for his father, Wanderlei Silva, the Curitiba veteran, who recently confirmed his retirement from professional mixed martial arts ahead of a planned move to professional boxing, turned in an iconic career inside the cage, landing the Pride FC middleweight title as well as clinching the 2003 Grand Prix before a return to the UFC for the swansong years of his career.
Over the course of his legendary run with the Japan-based, Pride FC, Silva became the first middleweight champion in organizational history, as well as eventually becoming the leader in all-time wins, knockouts, title defenses, and the longest winning streak in the promotion’s antiquity.
Former PRIDE FC champion and UFC alum, Wanderlei Silva recently confirmed his retirement from professional mixed martial arts, however, has announced plans to pursue professional boxing – as well as poking barbs at compatriot and past opponent, Vitor Belfort. Silva, a former undisputed middleweight champion under the PRIDE FC banner, as well as the 2003 […]
Former PRIDE FC champion and UFC alum, Wanderlei Silva recently confirmed his retirement from professional mixed martial arts, however, has announced plans to pursue professional boxing – as well as poking barbs at compatriot and past opponent, Vitor Belfort.
Silva, a former undisputed middleweight champion under the PRIDE FC banner, as well as the 2003 middleweight Grand Prix victor, recently called time on his professional mixed martial arts career with immediate effect, having last competed in a fourth fight against Quinton Jackson under the Bellator banner back in 2018.
Revered as one of the most lethal and devastating knockout artists in the sport’s history, Silva holds the record for the most wins, knockouts, title defenses, and the longest streak of victories under the PRIDE FC banner.
Wanderlei Silva blasts Vitor Belfort for boxing Evander Holyfield last year
Competing under the scrutiny of the UFC from 2007 until 2013 in his second tenure, the Curitiba striker announced his intentions to compete in professional boxing next – eyeing former world champions, as well as criticizing fellow Brazilian, Belfort’s knockout win over Evander Holyfield last year.
“I would like to fight a boxer, right?” Wanderlei Silva told MMA Fighting’s Trocacao Franca podcast with Guilherme Cruz. “I always liked to do it in their game. Even when I was training, I liked to do Jiu-Jitsu with Jiu-Jitsu guys and wrestle wrestlers. I like to test myself.”
“I would like to box one of the good guys, maybe a former world champion, something like that,” Wanderlei Silva explained. “That would be interesting. But I don’t want to fight an old man like our friend (Vitor Belfort) did, fighting someone who’s almost 70. It has to be someone younger, right? To fight an old man and beat them quickly is something other type of fighters do. I won’t do that. I wanna someone good.”
Headline a Triller Fight Club event against the 59-year-old former world champion, Holyfield last year, Belfort scored a brutally one-sided first round knockout win.
Sharing the Octagon all the way back at UFC Brazil in 1998, Silva suffered a first round knockout loss to Belfort inside just 44-seconds in Sao Paulo.
MMA legend Wanderlei Silva has announced that he’s looking to break into Brazilian politics at the second time of asking this year. Silva became a renowned figure in combat sports through a 51-fight career that spanned stints in multiple elite pr…
MMA legend Wanderlei Silva has announced that he’s looking to break into Brazilian politics at the second time of asking this year. Silva became a renowned figure in combat sports through a 51-fight career that spanned stints in multiple elite promotions. After a failed UFC title challenge in 2000, “The Axe Murderer” went on to…
Mixed martial arts legend Wanderlei Silva has officially confirmed he will plunge into the world of Brazilian politics. The former Pride FC champion and veteran of the UFC and Bellator announced his goal to run for a seat in the Brazilian congress as a federal deputy via Instagram. The 50-fight vet is set to align […]
Mixed martial arts legend Wanderlei Silva has officially confirmed he will plunge into the world of Brazilian politics.
The former Pride FC champion and veteran of the UFC and Bellator announced his goal to run for a seat in the Brazilian congress as a federal deputy via Instagram. The 50-fight vet is set to align himself with the Progressive Party, supporting Brazil’s current far-right president Jair Bolsonaro.
Having fought for his native homeland inside the Octagon, Silva now looks to continue fighting for his country in a different role.
Wanderlei Silva Statement
“It’s now official: I’m a candidate for Federal Deputy!
I made this decision because a lot of people complain about our country, a lot of people say that here nothing goes right, that nothing works.
To change this scenario, I’m making myself available as a candidate for Federal Deputy for Paraná.
Our State has never had a good-name athlete representing us, and I want to be that person.
I want to come to Brasília and bring dignity to our sport, work to make it a strong instrument of social inclusion.
I am proof of what sport can do for the young, and I know we can change the life of many.
Besides sports, I will fight for strong, efficient public safety that values its professionals.
I count on you, always count on me,” Silva wrote on social media.
Silva ended his respectable MMA career holding an imposing (35-14-1) record. The 46-year-old hasn’t competed since 2018 after undergoing a stint in Bellator and losing both bouts against Chael Sonnen and Quinton Jackson.
With Wanderlei Silva leaving his fighting career behind him and transitioning into the world of politics, what do you think about the switch? Let us know in the comments!