Wanderlei Silva
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Statistics | |
| Nickname | The Axe Murderer, Cachorro Louco (Mad Dog) |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Weight | 195 lb (88 kg; 13.9 st) |
| Reach | 74 in (190 cm)[1] |
| Nationality |  Brazilian |
| Born | July 3, 1976 |
| Fighting out of | Las Vegas, United States |
| Town of birth | Curitiba, Brazil |
| Team/Association | Wand Fight Team |
| Primary fighting style | Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Wins | 32 |
| By knockout | 22 |
| By submission | 4 |
| Losses | 10 |
| Draws | 1 |
| No contests | 1 |
Wanderlei Cesar da Silva (pronounced /ˈvændərleɪ/, VAN-dər-lay; born July 3, 1976 in Curitiba, Brazil) is a Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter, who has competed in Japan's Pride Fighting Championships and the American based Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
He trained under Rudimar Fedrigo at the Chute Boxe Academy in Curitiba, Brazil. He specializes in Muay Thai and has received a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu by Carlos Gracie, Jr.[2] He is the former IVC light heavyweight champion, former Pride middleweight (205 lb) champion, and the Pride 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix champion.
Silva earned the nickname "The Axe Murderer" for his extremely aggressive fighting style; the majority of his fights have either ended in a knockout or referee stoppage due to his strikes. In the ring, he is known for engaging opponents with punches and utilizing knees in the Muay Thai clinch. Silva was given the nickname "Cachorro Louco" ("Mad Dog") in Brazil, which refers to his aggressive fighting style and of the way he stares down opponents before his fights.
Throughout his career Wanderlei has trained with Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil, and since moving to the United States in 2007, he has trained at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas. He currently trains in Brazil, with former Chute Boxe teammate Mauricio Rua, and in Las Vegas, at his newly opened Wand Fight Team Academy.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
[edit] Early career
Silva's aggressive style is rooted in street brawling, refined with elements of Muay Thai and kickboxing. As a late teen he joined the military and was quickly recognized for his fighting talents and rose up in the ranks. Silva enlisted after already winning fight tournaments in his age group in Brazil.[3]
Silva's first professional match was on November 1, 1996, in the Brazilian Vale Tudo Fighting organization (BVF), where he knocked out Dilson Filho with punches at BVF 6. He fought in one other match in BVF, BVF 10 on July 1, 1997, against Marcelao, who submitted due to a shoulder injury.
Silva fought six matches in four different IVC events, IVC 2, IVC 6, IVC 9 and IVC 10, from 1997 to 1999. He won five of these matches by KO/TKO, with his lone loss being the result of a cut stoppage against Artur Mariano in the IVC 2 show on September 15, 1997. The cut was above his right eyelid and opened back up several times, partially because Silva continued to use the cut side of his head to inflict many head butts on Mariano over the course of the match.[4] The doctor observed the cut several times before the fight was ended.[4]
Silva culminated his IVC career by winning the promotion's light heavyweight belt with a submission win over Eugene Jackson in the IVC 10 show on April 27th, 1999. It was after this fight that Silva earned the nickname "The Axe Murderer".
Silva participated in one Meca World Vale Tudo event, Meca 2 on August 12, 2000, where he knocked out Todd Medina with knees.
Silva entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 16, 1998, at UFC Brazil: Ultimate Brazil, in a match against Vitor Belfort. The match has arguably been Silva's worst defeat in his career, lasting only 44 seconds and ending with Silva being knocked down by Belfort's punches then being stopped by the referee. Silva won his next UFC match on May 7, 1999, at UFC 20 where he knocked out Tony Petarra with knees. On April 14, 2000, Silva was given a chance to fight for the UFC light heavyweight championship, but lost via decision to Tito Ortiz at UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3.
[edit] Pride Fighting Championships
Silva debuted in Pride at the Pride 7 event on September 12, 1999, winning against Carl Malenko by decision. From 1999 to 2004, Silva won eighteen-straight fights in Pride, excluding a draw against Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic (under slightly modified rules) and a no contest against Gilbert Yvel (Silva accidentally kicked Yvel in the groin), giving him a twenty-fight unbeaten streak. Silva's reputation as a formidable MMA fighter grew as he developed a successful 5 year win record in the middle weight division (205 lbs) of Pride.
Silva fought Japanese superstar Kazushi Sakuraba for the first time at Pride 13: Collision Course on March 25, 2001. Silva won via TKO (strikes) at 1:38 into the first round. At Pride 17: Championship Chaos on November 3, 2001, Silva won the Pride middleweight (205 lb) championship when he defeated Sakuraba for the second time. Sakuraba suffered a broken clavicle and withdrew after the first round, giving Silva a TKO win via doctor's stoppage. The two fought for a third time on August 10, 2003 at Pride Total Elimination 2003, part of Pride's middleweight tournament. Silva knocked out Sakuraba with a two punch combination at 5:01 into the first round.
- See also: Wanderlei Silva vs. Quinton Jackson
Silva faced Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at Pride Final Conflict 2003 on November 9, 2003. Silva won by TKO due to referee's stoppage after delivering seventeen consecutive knees to Jackson. Silva became Pride's 2003 tournament champion with the win. When the two fought again on October 31, 2004 at Pride 28: High Octane, Silva knocked out Jackson in the second round with knees in a clinch after being knocked down himself near the end of the first round. In Japan, Silva additionally gained his reputation as a fighter who has never been defeated by any Japanese opponent, resulting in a trend of various Japanese fighters being arranged by Pride to face him.
Silva's undefeated 5-year streak (18 wins, 14 knockouts) in Pride was broken by heavy weight Mark Hunt, a K-1 champion on December 31, 2004 at the Pride Shockwave 2004 event. Hunt won the non-title match by split decision. The decision was controversial because some who felt that Hunt's weight of 280 lb (125 kg), over 80 lb more than Silva, as well as Silva's performance in rounds two and three, had not been sufficiently considered by the judges in their decision; Randy Couture and Bas Rutten, both being commentators at the event, expressed disagreement with the judges decision. Silva also took this fight on two days notice.
Silva's former status as Pride's middleweight champion first came under debate and criticism with his loss to Ricardo Arona (who subsequently lost the tournament to Silva's team-mate, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua) on August 28, 2005 at Pride Final Conflict 2005. The loss, by unanimous decision in the tournament's semi-finals, was Silva's first defeat in a middleweight match in Pride; however, since it was not a title fight and held under special rules due to the grand prix format (2 rounds instead of 3), Silva was still recognized as the middleweight champion. A rematch between Arona and Silva took place at the Pride Shockwave 2005 event on December 31, 2005, with Silva winning by split decision.
On May 18, 2006, Pride's parent company, Dream Stage Entertainment (DSE), announced that Silva would replace Pride heavyweight champion Fedor Emelianenko in the Open-Weight Grand Prix. Emelianenko's doctors stated that his hand, which had recently undergone surgery, would not be in good enough shape to fight because the metal implant would still be present. Because Silva was also a champion, he received a first round bye and fought in the second round at Pride Critical Countdown Absolute, which took place on July 1, 2006. Silva moved to the semi-finals of the OpenWeight Grand Prix after defeating Kazuyuki Fujita by TKO (strikes) at 9:21 of round one.
On July 8, 2006, at UFC 61: Bitter Rivals, UFC president Dana White announced Silva would face Chuck Liddell in a UFC event held in November, provided Liddell beat Renato "Babalu" Sobral at UFC 62. Liddell did end up winning that fight. However, talks dwindled and the fight as advertised did not happen.
On September 10, 2006, at Pride Final Conflict Absolute, Wanderlei Silva was knocked out by Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in the Open-Weight Grand Prix semi-finals. After a brief stoppage to tend to a swollen eye on Silva, "Cro Cop" struck Silva in the head with a left kick, knocking him out. On October 21, 2006 at Pride 32: The Real Deal, Wanderlei issued his challenge to Chuck Liddell to a fight inside a Pride ring in February, when the promotion returned to Las Vegas, Nevada, however Dana White stated that the fight would not be happening, citing Silva's recent KO loss to Mirko Filipovic which would have not allowed the NSAC to clear him medically for the fight that soon after being knocked out.
Silva put his Pride middleweight title on the line against Dan Henderson, Pride's welterweight (183 lb) champion at Pride 33: The Second Coming, held on February 24, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada.[5] In a night of upsets, Henderson knocked out Silva in the third round with a left hook to the head to become the new middleweight champion. This fight was held under unified rules which prevent knees and kicks to the head of a downed opponent as well as having five 5 minute rounds. Many seen this as hindering Silva's ability to fully utilize his offensive arsenal. Silva was denied the ability to participate in Pride 34 due to medical suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) which made this his last Pride appearance.[6] Silva never lost under pure Pride rules at 205 pounds.
[edit] Transition after Pride
At the post-UFC 71 press conference Dana White was asked about Liddell's future in the UFC to which he answered, "That's what we will probably do, Chuck versus Wanderlei".[7] According to the Boston Herald on June 8, 2007, Liddell confirmed Silva as his next opponent.
On July 11, 2007, Dana White confirmed in an interview with Yahoo! Sports that the bout between Wanderlei Silva and Chuck Liddell has been canceled indefinitely. Silva and Liddell were supposed to be the main bout for UFC 76 in Anaheim, California.[8]
Silva responded with a video posted on his website to the allegations that he turned down a fight with Chuck Liddell for UFC 76 in September. In the video Silva asserted that his desire to fight Liddell had not dwindled, and that he elected to fight the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in November instead of September. Silva also addressed the critics that said he turned down the fight at UFC 76 because he was afraid of Liddell. He stated that he is not afraid, and he was the one who has insisted on the fight first.[9] He also cited his Brazilian heritage as a reason why he was not afraid.[10]
According to Silva, the timing for the fight to take place in September did not work for him. He cited his permanent move to the United States as causing a lot of distractions, and he felt that he would not be able to properly train for the fight. He added that he has always fought when the promoters wanted in the past, which he now felt was ill-advised, so this time he wanted to fight when he was truly ready.[11] Silva also reitered his desire to fight with Liddell in November, and stressed its importance, calling it the "most important fight of [Silva's] life". He added that he planned to be in his best shape for the fight, and promised to make it "the biggest show ever."[12]
[edit] Return to the UFC
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"I fight for my fans and they know I give my best. Every time I need to give a good show for them because tickets are so expensive and pay-per-view is so expensive. The fans know which fighters want to give a show. I love my fans and fight for my fans. It's so incredible that I'm from Brazil but when I fight American fighters the crowd is much more for me over the American fighters. They know I'm going to put on a show."
—Wanderlei Silva talking about fighting in America and his motivation for fights.[13]
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On August 17, 2007, the UFC announced that they had signed Wanderlei Silva to compete in the organization and that he would return to the Octagon on December 29, 2007 at UFC 79.[14][15] After months of speculation about Silva's opponent, UFC President Dana White announced Chuck Liddell would be Silva's opponent for his return match.[16] The long-awaited match happened on December 29, with Wanderlei Silva losing to Chuck Liddell by unanimous decision. After the fight Silva said "win or lose I like to give the emotion for my fans"[17] He also added that he gave his best and promises that next time he will deliver a win.
Keeping to his promise, on May 24, 2008 at UFC 84, he earned a decisive knockout win against Keith Jardine in the first round at the 36 second mark by referee stoppage, earning him Knockout of the Night honours.[18]
At UFC 92,Wanderlei fought Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who he beat twice previously.[19] Jackson avenged his previous defeats by knocking Silva out with a left hook in the first round.[20] Following the fight, Silva has stated that he would like to fight Jackson again, for the 4th, and possibly in the future, even the 5th time.
Wanderlei met Rich Franklin at UFC 99 in Germany at a catch weight bout of 195 lbs.[21] After a hard fought match on both sides, Silva lost via unanimous decision to Franklin.
Silva has stated that he will likely next move to the Middleweight division and his next fight will likley be in December.
[edit] Personal life
Wanderlei is married and has a 12-year-old daughter and a 4-year-old son named Thor.[22] His daughter lives with her mother in Curitiba, Brazil. [23]
[edit] Championships and awards
International Vale Tudo Championships
- IVC Light Heavyweight Championship
- Pride Middleweight Championship (2001-2007)
- 2003 Pride Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament Winner
Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Two time Fight of the Night Honors
- Knockout of the Night Honors
- 2001 Feud of the Year (vs Kazushi Sakuraba)
- 2001 Shootfighter of the Year
- 2003 Shootmatch of the Year (vs Hidehiko Yoshida)
- 2004 Shootfighter of the Year
- 2004 Shootmatch of the Year (vs Quinton Jackson)
[edit] Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 44 matches | 32 wins | 10 losses |
| By knockout | 22 | 5 |
| By submission | 4 | 0 |
| By decision | 7 | 5 |
| Draws | 1 | |
| No contests | 1 | |
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
| Loss | 32–10–1 (1) |  Rich Franklin |
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 99: The Comeback | 2009-06-13 | 3 | 5:00 |  Cologne, Germany |
Fought at a catchweight of 195 lb. Won Fight of the Night Honors. |
| Loss | 32–9–1 (1) | Quinton Jackson |
KO (Punch) | UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 | 2008-12-27 | 1 | 3:21 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US |
|
| Win | 32–8–1 (1) | Keith Jardine |
KO (Punches) | UFC 84: Ill Will | 2008-05-24 | 1 | 0:36 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US |
Won Knock Out of the Night Honors |
| Loss | 31–8–1 (1) | Chuck Liddell |
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 79: Nemesis | 2007-12-29 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US |
Won Fight of the Night Honors |
| Loss | 31–7–1 (1) | Dan Henderson |
KO (Punch) | Pride 33: The Second Coming | 2007-02-24 | 3 | 2:08 | Las Vegas, Nevada, US |
Lost Pride Middleweight Championship |
| Loss | 31–6–1 (1) |  Mirko Filipović |
KO (Head Kick) | Pride Final Conflict Absolute | 2006-09-10 | 1 | 5:26 |  Saitama, Japan |
|
| Win | 31–5–1 (1) | Kazuyuki Fujita |
TKO (Punches) | Pride Critical Countdown Absolute | 2006-07-01 | 1 | 9:21 | Saitama, Japan |
|
| Win | 30–5–1 (1) | Ricardo Arona |
Decision (Split) | Pride Shockwave 2005 | 2005-12-31 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan |
Defends Pride Middleweight Championship |
| Loss | 29–5–1 (1) | Ricardo Arona |
Decision (Unanimous) | Pride Final Conflict 2005 | 2005-08-28 | 2 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan |
|
| Win | 29–4–1 (1) | Kazuhiro Nakamura |
TKO (Punches) | Pride Critical Countdown 2005 | 2005-06-24 | 1 | 5:24 | Saitama, Japan |
|
| Win | 28–4–1 (1) | Hidehiko Yoshida |
Decision (Split) | Pride Total Elimination 2005 | 2005-04-23 | 3 | 5:00 | Osaka, Japan |
|
| Loss | 27–4–1 (1) |  Mark Hunt |
Decision (Split) | Pride Shockwave 2004 | 2004-12-31 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan |
Hunt took this fight on two days notice |
| Win | 27–3–1 (1) | Quinton Jackson |
KO (Knees) | Pride 28: High Octane | 2004-10-31 | 2 | 3:26 | Saitama, Japan |
Defends Pride Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 26–3–1 (1) | Yuki Kondo |
KO (Stomps) | Pride Final Conflict 2004 | 2004-08-15 | 1 | 2:46 | Saitama, Japan |
|
| Win | 25–3–1 (1) | Ikuhisa Minowa |
KO (Punches) | Pride Bushido 2 | 2004-02-15 | 1 | 1:09 | Yokohama, Japan |
|
| Win | 24–3–1 (1) | Quinton Jackson |
TKO (Knees) | Pride Final Conflict 2003 | 2003-11-09 | 1 | 6:28 | Tokyo, Japan |
Won Pride 2003 Middleweight GP |
| Win | 23–3–1 (1) | Hidehiko Yoshida |
Decision (Unanimous) | Pride Final Conflict 2003 | 2003-11-09 | 2 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
Pride 2003 Middleweight GP Semifinal |
| Win | 22–3–1 (1) | Kazushi Sakuraba |
KO (Punch) | Pride Total Elimination 2003 | 2003-08-10 | 1 | 5:01 | Saitama, Japan |
Pride 2003 Middleweight GP Opening Round |
| Win | 21–3–1 (1) | Hiromitsu Kanehara |
TKO (corner stoppage) | Pride 23: Championship Chaos 2 | 2002-11-24 | 1 | 3:40 | Tokyo, Japan |
Defends Pride Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 20–3–1 (1) | Tatsuya Iwasaki |
TKO (Punches) | Pride Shockwave | 2002-08-28 | 1 | 1:16 | Tokyo, Japan |
|
| Draw | 19–3–1 (1) | Mirko Filipovic |
Draw | Pride 20: Armed and Ready | 2002-04-28 | 5 | 3:00 | Yokohama, Japan |
|
| Win | 19–3 (1) | Kiyoshi Tamura |
KO (Punch) | Pride 19: Bad Blood | 2002-02-24 | 2 | 2:28 | Saitama, Japan |
Defends Pride Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 18–3 (1) | Alexander Otsuka |
TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | Pride 18: Cold Fury 2 | 2001-12-23 | 3 | 2:02 | Fukuoka, Japan |
|
| Win | 17–3 (1) | Kazushi Sakuraba |
TKO (Doctor Stoppage) | Pride 17: Championship Chaos | 2001-11-03 | 1 | 10:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
Won First Pride Middleweight Championship |
| Win | 16–3 (1) | Shungo Oyama |
TKO (Punches) | Pride 14: Clash of the Titans | 2001-05-27 | 1 | 0:30 | Yokohama, Japan |
|
| Win | 15–3 (1) | Kazushi Sakuraba |
TKO (Punches) | Pride 13: Collision Course | 2001-03-25 | 1 | 1:38 | Saitama, Japan |
|
| Win | 14–3 (1) | Dan Henderson |
Decision (Unanimous) | Pride 12: Cold Fury | 2000-12-09 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan |
|
| No Contest | 13–3 (1) |  Gilbert Yvel |
No Contest | Pride 11: Battle of the Rising Sun | 2000-10-31 | 1 | 0:21 | Osaka, Japan |
Yvel was kicked in the groin |
| Win | 13–3 | Guy Mezger |
KO (Punches) | Pride 10: Return of the Warriors | 2000-08-27 | 1 | 3:45 | Saitama, Japan |
|
| Win | 12–3 | Todd Medina |
KO (Knees) | Meca World Vale Tudo 2 | 2000-08-12 | 1 | 0:39 | Curitiba, Brazil |
|
| Loss | 11–3 | Tito Ortiz |
Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 25: Ultimate Japan 3 | 2000-04-14 | 5 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
For UFC Light Heavyweight Title |
| Win | 11–2 | Bob Schrijber |
Submission (Rear Naked Choke) | Pride Grand Prix 2000 Opening Round | 2000-01-30 | 1 | 2:42 | Tokyo, Japan |
|
| Win | 10–2 | Daijiro Matsui |
Decision | Pride 8 | 1999-11-21 | 2 | 10:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
|
| Win | 9–2 | Carl Malenko |
Decision | Pride 7 | 1999-09-12 | 2 | 10:00 | Yokohama, Japan |
|
| Win | 8–2 | Tony Petarra |
KO (Knee) | UFC 20: Battle for the Gold | 1999-05-07 | 1 | 2:53 | Birmingham, Alabama, US |
|
| Win | 7–2 | Eugene Jackson |
Submission (Strikes) | IVC 10: World Class Champions | 1999-04-27 | 1 | 0:32 | Brazil |
Won IVC Light-Heavyweight Championship |
| Win | 6–2 | Adriano Serrano |
KO (Punches and Kicks) | IVC 9: The Revenge | 1999-01-20 | 1 | 0:22 | , Brazil |
|
| Loss | 5–2 | Vitor Belfort |
TKO (Punches) | UFC: Ultimate Brazil | 1998-10-16 | 1 | 0:44 | Sao Paulo, Brazil |
|
| Win | 5–1 | Mike Van Arsdale |
KO (Punches and Kicks) | IVC 6: The Challenge | 1998-08-23 | 1 | 4:00 | São Paulo, Brazil |
|
| Loss | 4–1 | Artur Mariano |
TKO (cut) | IVC 2: A Question of Pride | 1997-09-15 | 2 | 13:10 | Brazil |
|
| Win | 4–0 | Egidio da Costa |
Submission (Punches) | IVC 2: A Question of Pride | 1997-09-15 | 1 | 2:27 | Brazil |
|
| Win | 3–0 | Sean Bormet |
KO (Head Kick) | IVC 2: A Question of Pride | 1997-09-15 | 1 | 1:19 | Brazil |
|
| Win | 2–0 | Marcelao Marcelao |
Submission (Shoulder Injury) | Brazilian Vale Tudo 10 | 1997-07-01 | 1 | 0:20 | Brazil |
|
| Win | 1–0 | Dilson Filho |
KO (Elbow) | Brazilian Vale Tudo 6 | 1996-11-01 | 1 | 3:35 | Brazil |
[edit] References
- ^ UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008. [Television Production]. Las Vegas, Nevada: Zuffa, LLC. December 27, 2008.
- ^ "UFC : Wanderlei Silva". Ufc.com. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=fighter.detail&pid=116. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ http://www.wanderleisilva.azplayers.com/wanderlei-silva-biography.html
- ^ a b West, David. "The Axe Murderer". Fightingspiritmagazine.co.uk. http://www.fightingspiritmagazine.co.uk/article.asp?IntID=78. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ "PrideFC Official Website". Pridefc.com. http://www.pridefc.com/pride2005/us_event.htm. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ Yu, Al (March 14, 2007). "Fighters Announced for Pride 34". Mmaweekly.com. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=3594&zoneid=1. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ Buckheit, Mary (June 1, 2007). "UFC 71 gives us yet another surprise". Sports.espn.go.com. http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=buckheit/070529. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ Iole, Kevin (July 11, 2007). "Silva-Liddell fight". Sports.yahoo.com. http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-liddell071107&prov=yhoo&type=lgns. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ Kerestes, Riley. "Chuck Liddell vs Wanderlei Silva: What happens now?". Mmawriters.com. http://MMAWriters.com/Article/Chuck-Liddell-vs-Wanderlei-Silva--What-happens-now-/10. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ Stupp, Dann (July 13, 2007). "Wanderlei Silva: I Never Ducked Chuck Liddell". Mmajunkie.com. http://mmajunkie.com/news/2565/wanderlei-silva-i-never-ducked-chuck-liddell.mma. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ "Silva responds to reports, says he isn’t ducking Liddell (updated)". Fiveouncesofpain.wordpress.com. July 13, 2007. http://fiveouncesofpain.wordpress.com/2007/07/13/silva-responds-to-reports-says-he-isnt-ducking-liddell/. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ "Wanderlei Silva Bio: Mixed Martial Arts Career: Pride Fighting Championships". Ronin5.com. http://ronin5.com/fighters/bio/Wanderlei_Silva. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ Martin, Todd (December 22, 2008). "Silva, Jackson renew classic rivalry for Round 3". CBSSports.com. http://www.cbssports.com/mma/story/11187202. Retrieved on 2009-03-01.
- ^ Marvez, Alex (August 18, 2007). "UFC locks up Pride superstar Silva". FOX Sports. http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/7133246. Retrieved on July 18, 2007.
- ^ Iole, Kevin (August 18, 2007). "Which Silva will show up in UFC?". Yahoo! Sports. http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=ki-081807silva. Retrieved on July 18, 2007.
- ^ "Finally, Two Legends Meet". ufc.com. October 24, 2007. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=news.detail&gid=8385. Retrieved on October 24, 2007.
- ^ Gerbasi, Thomas (October 16, 2007). "Wanderlei Silva - The Return of The Axe Murderer - Part I". Mmaplayground.com. http://www.mmaplayground.com/discussion/topic/wanderlei-interview-11038p1.html. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ Martin, Damon (May 25, 2008). "UFC 84 awards net fighters $75,000 bonuses". Mmaweekly.com. http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=6345&zoneid=13. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/081227/sports/mma_ufc92_4
- ^ http://mma.fanhouse.com/2008/12/27/ufc-92-rampage-jackson-kos-wanderlei-silva/
- ^ "Franklin-Silva Eye UFC 99 Date at 195". Sherdog.com. http://www.sherdog.com/news/news/franklin-silva-eye-ufc-99-date-at-195-16412. Retrieved on 2009-03-03.
- ^ Jeffrey, Doug. "Beyond Fighting: Wanderlei Silva". Ultimategrapplingmag.com. http://www.ultimategrapplingmag.com/content/view/179/37/. Retrieved on December 2, 2008.
- ^ "Wanderlei Silva: I am a fighter". msnbc.com video. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/28370810#28370810.
[edit] External links
- "Official site of Wanderlei Silva". wanderleisilva.com.br. http://www.wanderleisilva.com.br/site_ing/.
- "Wanderlei Silva profile". UFC official website. http://www.ufc.com/index.cfm?fa=fighter.detail&pid=116.
- Professional MMA record for Wanderlei Silva from Sherdog
- Wanderlei Silva audio interview from 12/19/08
| New championship | 1st Pride Middleweight Champion November 3, 2001 – February 24, 2007 |
Succeeded by Dan Henderson |
| New championship | Pride FC Middleweight Tournament winner November 9, 2003 |
Succeeded by Mauricio "Shogun" Rua |
