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Anderson Silva is among the greatest mixed martial artists to ever step into the octagon. His 34-11-1 record may not look outstanding on paper but he was almost untouchable in his prime.
Silva holds the record for the longest winning streak in the UFC, at 16 fights. The former middleweight champion also has the record for the longest individual title reign at 2,450 days. Amanda Nunes is the only active champion chasing his record right now.
During his championship reign, Anderson Silva showcased near unparalleled striking defense. His performances against Vitor Bellfort, Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, and others established his dominance. In his second fight against Chris Weidman, 'The Spider' broke his shinbone.
Following his return from injury, Anderson Silva lost five of his last six matches. He retired from MMA in November 2020.
Silva later announced his return to professional boxing. The Brazilian made his pro boxing debut early in his career. He lost his first outing against Osmar Luiz Teixeira in 1998 via corner stoppage. However, in 2005 he KO'd Julio Cesar De Jesus to win his second pro boxing bout.
The move to boxing was immediately criticized by many. However, on June 19, 2021 the MMA veteran managed to win his first boxing bout since 2005. So, here are 5 reasons why 'The Spider' can beat 'The Problem Child', if they fight.
#5. Anderson Silva's experience
To say that Silva has more experience would be an understatement. The former UFC champion's career in combat sports started in 1997. Jake Paul was born on January 17th of the same year. The forty-six-year-old has trained in martial arts for most of his life. Paul, on the other hand, made his pro debut in 2020. He defeated Ali Loui Al-Fakhri a.k.a AnEsonGib via TKO in round one.
Anderson Silva made his professional MMA debut against Raimundo Pinheiro. He submitted Pinheiro via rear-naked choke at 1:53 of round one. Luiz Azeredo was the first fighter to defeat Silva in 2000. After his first loss, Silva went on a nine-fight winning streak before losing to Daiju Takase at Pride 26. On September 11th, 2004, he captured the Cage Rage middleweight championship.
He defended the title three times. After a loss to Yushin Okami in 2006 and one final defense of his Cage Rage middleweight title, Anderson Silva signed with the UFC. During his legendary title run, the Spider also avenged his loss to Okami in 2011.
#4. Almost even playing field
Anderson Silva has two things that are not common with Paul's previous opponents. Those two things are height and weight. At 6ft 1inches, Jake Paul has had a significant height advantage over his past opponents. The taller Paul has also had reach and weight advantages over his past opponents. Both Ben Askren and Tyron Woodley fought at 170lbs in MMA. But they bulked up to around 190lbs to fight the 24-year-old.
However, Silva is an inch taller than the former Disney channel star at 6ft 2inches. He also has a slight reach advantage with 78 inches of reach against Paul's 76-inch reach. Another factor is that 'The Spider' has competed at 185lbs throughout his career. Silva has had multiple fights at 205lbs as well and won't need to bulk up.
However, at 46, he is almost twice Jake Paul's age. Age is the only thing Anderson Silva has in common with Paul's past opponents.
#3. Anderson Silva's skill
Silva's skills as a fighter are unquestionable. He trained in different styles of martial arts from a young age. Anderson Silva began learning jiu-jitsu as a child, then as a teen trained in taekwondo, capoeira, and Muay Thai.
During his MMA career, Anderson Silva masterfully mixed all these styles inside the octagon. His fluidity of movement, striking defense, submission, and countering ability was second to none in the UFC. His display of skill against power punchers like Dan Henderson and Vitor Belfort has rarely been matched.
The former full-time YouTuber, however, started training much later in his life. His opponents have always had a size disadvantage, and not only that, he is yet to fight a seasoned pro boxer. Nate Robinson is a former NBA player, while Askren and Woodley are both long past their prime and were more wrestling-focused anyway.
#2. Anderson Silva's champion mindset
Experience is not the only thing Anderson Silva has on Jake Paul. Unlike Paul, he has been a champion in the past. He has faced many formidable challenges in two separate weight divisions. Among the numerous title defenses, 'The Spider' found himself in deep waters a few times.
A good example would be his first fight with Chael Sonnen. Sonnen hurt Silva early in round one and dropped him. He then proceeded to dominate the champ on the ground for most of the fight. Going into the final round, Silva was losing on the judges' scorecards when Sonnen knocked him down again. Halfway through the last round, Anderson Silva managed to submit Sonnen via triangle choke.
At UFC 117, the Brazilian faced adversity but made a huge comeback win. He patiently waited for an opportunity and capitalized on it.
#1. Proving the critics wrong
After losing five matches against younger opponents, Silva retired from MMA in 2020. Soon after, he announced his plan to go back to professional boxing. He already had critics who said that he should have retired much earlier. They sprang back into action.
On June 19, 2021, Silva stepped into the ring against Julio Chavez Jr. The son of legendary boxer Julio César Chávez, Chavez Jr has had a long and successful career. He faced some of boxing's biggest names including Canelo Alvarez.
Anderson Silva defeated the veteran boxer in their bout. The former UFC champion not only outboxed his much younger opponent but also went the distance. Though the fight was a split decision win for Silva, he threw 392 punches compared to 153 by Chavez Jr.
On September 11, 2021, Anderson Silva knocked out a former UFC champion, Tito Ortiz. After just two fights, 'The Spider' has silenced his doubters.
