One of the greatest fighters of all time is finally being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.
During Saturday’s UFC 286 broadcast, promotion officials announced that Anderson Silva will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2023.
Silva is being inducted into the Hall’s Pioneer Wing.
Silva (34-11, 1NC) remains the most decorated middleweight champion mixed martial arts has ever seen. His ten successful title defenses are unprecedented at 185lbs, and his 16-fight win streak from 2006 to 2012 remains unparalleled in UFC history, as does his title reign of 2,457 days.
“The Spider” captured middleweight gold against Rich Franklin at UFC 64, and would defend the belt against the likes of Thales Leites, Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote, Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, and Chael Sonnen, among others. Out of seemingly sheer boredom with his own weight class, Silva also occasionally moved up to 205lbs, defeating Stephen Bonnar and Forrest Griffin there.
After his championship reign came to an end following a knockout at the hands of Chris Weidman (followed by a career-threatening broken leg in the rematch), Silva continued fighting, stepping in one day prior to weigh-ins for UFC 200 to meet Daniel Cormier in a light heavyweight bout, after Jon Jones was yanked from the card due to a failed drug test.
Since retiring from MMA in October 2020, Silva has transitioned to a boxing career and found considerable success, still competing in his late 40s.
“Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time,” UFC President Dana White said in a press release distributed following Saturday’s announcement. “Anderson’s 16-fight winning streak in the UFC, 10 successful title defenses and almost seven years as middleweight champion were one of the most remarkable things we’ve ever seen in professional sports. He was an absolute artist inside the Octagon, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
This year’s UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place during International Fight Week in July.
