Tag: Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva grateful to Dana White for UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2024 spot

Wanderlei Silva expressed gratitude toward Dana White for his addition to the UFC Hall of Fame.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag] expressed gratitude toward [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] for his addition to the UFC Hall of Fame.

Former PRIDE FC champion and 12-fight UFC veteran Silva (35-14-1) was announced for the pioneer wing of the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class during Saturday’s UFC 298 broadcast.

The announcement came as a surprise after White said 10 years ago that Silva had been “Pete Rose’d” and would never be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. But not only did the UFC CEO change his tune, he forgot that he ever made those comments.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C3i4J0JPwdI/

“He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the UFC 298 post-fight news conference. “Back when me and the Fertittas got into this sport, we were huge Wanderlei Silva fans.

“Everybody that was a hardcore fan back then was a big fan of PRIDE. 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. … I’ve been in so many beefs with so many people that I didn’t even remember that until you just told me.”

Silva said he had no idea about the announcement and holds no grudge toward White for his past comments.

“I’m so thankful to Dana. I’m so thankful to the UFC,” Silva said backstage at UFC 298. “The guys gave me a good opportunity, put me in the biggest events with great opponents, and I’m so glad to have this moment here. I made a lot of money here in the UFC, and I have a good life today because the guys gave this opportunity for me, and I’m so thankful. I know Dana has a huge part in this Hall of Fame. Thanks so much, Dana White.”

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Former PRIDE champ Wanderlei Silva joins 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class

One of the most intense and violent fighters in MMA history, Wanderlei Silva, will be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.

One of the most intense and violent fighters in MMA history, [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag], will be enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.

Silva (35-14-1), a former PRIDE FC champion and 12-fight UFC veteran, was announced for the pioneer wing of the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class, the promotion announced Saturday during the UFC 298 broadcast.

“Wanderlei Silva is one of the true pioneers of the sport of MMA,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a press release. “Wanderlei was an absolute savage who left his mark by delivering some of the most memorable fights in combat sports history. He had legendary fights against Mirko Cro Crop, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Brian Stann, and his fights against Rich Franklin, as they were absolute wars! He was also one of the early superstars of PRIDE who helped grow the MMA fanbase on a global scale, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”

The Brazilian made his UFC debut back at UFC 17.5 in October 1998, suffering a loss to Vitor Belfort. He would make another pair of appearances inside the octagon in 1999 and 2000, before he moved to PRIDE FC where he became an MMA superstar.

Under the PRIDE FC banner, “The Axe Murderer” racked up a plethora of highlight-reel knockouts, including memorable finishes against the likes of Quinton Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, Ricardo Arona and more.

Following the UFC’s purchase of PRIDE FC in 2007, Silva returned to the company and fought the likes of Michael Bisping, Cung Le, Rich Franklin and Brian Stann

Silva, 47 is the second fighter to be announced for the 2024 UFC Hall of Fame class, alongside former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar.

He also joins the Hall of Fame pioneer wing which currently includes Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Randy Couture, Mark Coleman, Chuck Liddell, Matt Hughes, Tito Ortiz, Pat Miletich, Bas Rutten, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Don Frye, Maurice Smith, Kazushi Sakuraba, Matt Serra, Rich Franklin, Kevin Randleman, Jens Pulver and Anderson Silva.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 298.

Top 5 rematches in MMA history, ranked

From UFC classics to a PRIDE FC gem, these rematches provided some of the most memorable action in the history of the sport.

When it comes to rematches in mixed martial arts, there seems to be little room for mediocrity whether we’re talking about the expectation or the result.

If the first fight captured our imaginations, then we as human beings tend to let expectations run wild when going into the second meeting. But as far as results go, MMA sequels seem to either continue to pile on the action atop the intrigue of the horror a la “Aliens,” or they just end up leaving us with that feeling we had when we walked out of “The Matrix Reloaded.”

That said, this sport has given us plenty of “Godfather 2” candidates over the years that are worth acknowledging.

So, with that in mind, I thought it would be fun to revisit some of the most memorable sequels in MMA by listing my top five rematches of all time.

As usual, these lists reflect my personal tastes and are not meant to serve as some ultimate authority. That said, I feel very strongly about not only my list but also my honorable mentions at the end – which are more than strong enough to serve as their own top five.

So, without further ado …

Farewell, fighters: A list of former UFC champs and more MMA notables who retired in 2022

The MMA world said goodbye to more than 35 notable fighters in 2022, from former UFC champions to future UFC Hall of Famers and more.

MMA is a constantly evolving sport with a revolving door of athletes entering and exiting. Currently fighters from the era that helped make the sport so popular are beginning to trickle away from competition and hang up their gloves to move on to the next chapters in their lives.

If there’s one thing that’s well known about combat sports retirements, though, it’s that they often don’t last long. The urge to compete and, perhaps more importantly, get a payday will continue to drive fighters back, even well beyond their expiration dates.

In 2022, there was an uptick in notable fighters announcing they are retired, and we have a list of those who opted to walk away last year.

Combat Rewind, May 27: Chuck Liddell knocks out fellow UFC vet in PRIDE

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

  • PRIDE 14: [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shungo Oyama[/autotag] – May 27, 2001
  • King of the Cage – Headstrong: [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Charon Spain[/autotag] – May 27, 2017
  • K-1 World Grand Prix 2005: [autotag]Semmy Schilt[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Peter Vondrachek[/autotag] – May 27, 2005
  • PRIDE 14: [autotag]Chuck Liddell[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Guy Mezger[/autotag] – May 27, 2001

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Combat Rewind, May 27

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives.

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives.

Combat Rewind, April 27: Ben Rothwell sends ‘Meat Truck’ flying in Hawaii

Check out the best highlights from this day in history with MMA Junkie’s “Combat Rewind.”

There’s “Flashback Friday” and “Throwback Thursday” (and Tuesday, too, if you want). But at MMA Junkie, we figured why not expand that to every day?

“Combat Rewind” brings you some of combat sports’ best highlights from every calendar day of the year. It’s a look back at history, courtesy of the UFC Fight Pass archives, featuring stellar finishes and classic moments in MMA and beyond on their anniversaries.

So kick back and relive the following bits of greatness in the video above:

    • Cage Warriors 104: [autotag]Jamie Richardson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Phil Wells[/autotag] – April 27, 2019
    • IVC 10: [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Eugene Jackson[/autotag] – April 27, 1999
    • SuperBrawl 24: [autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Kerry Schall[/autotag] – April 27, 2002
    • Pancrase – Shining 3: [autotag]Masaya Takita[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Manabu Inoue[/autotag] – April 27, 2008
    • King of the Cage – Sinister: [autotag]Charlie Kohler[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Matt Dell[/autotag] – April 27, 2007
    • SuperBrawl 24: [autotag]Tim Sylvia[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Boyd Ballard[/autotag] – April 27, 2002

Fight footage courtesy of UFC Fight Pass, the UFC’s official digital subscription service, which is currently offering a seven-day free trial. UFC Fight Pass gives fans access to exclusive live UFC events and fights, exclusive live MMA and combat sports events from around the world, exclusive original and behind the scenes content and unprecedented 24-7 access to the world’s biggest fight library.

Vitor Belfort calls out Wanderlei Silva for ‘most anticipated rematch’ in history

Vitor Belfort calls out Wanderlei Silva for what he says would be the most anticipated rematch in combat sports history.

More than 21 years after their first meeting, [autotag]Vitor Belfort[/autotag] wants to dance again with an old foe.

Belfort (26-14) who signed with ONE Championship in February, has yet to make his promotional debut and has not competed since his second-round knockout loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 224 in May 2018, after which he briefly announced his retirement from the sport.

Now looking to return to action a year after signing with ONE Championship, Belfort has called out fellow legend of the sport [autotag]Wanderlei Silva[/autotag] for a rematch in February under the ONE banner.

The two met back in 1998 at UFC Brazil, when Belfort delivered one of the biggest highlight-reel knockouts in UFC history. He marched forward and steamrolled Silva (35-14-1) in just 44 seconds.

After coaching “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” opposite each other in 2012, Belfort and Silva were scheduled to rematch at UFC 147, but an injury forced Belfort out of the bout and the rematch never materialized.

Hard to top his first performance, Belfort has issued a challenge to Silva, calling it the most anticipated rematch in the history of combat sports.

“THE TIME IS TICKING #42 @wandfc — i heard that you are asking to fight me again?

I hope this is true. I have a Christmas gift for you. — i am willing to give you the most anticipated #rematch that will ever happen in the #mma combat sports history.

Do you accept my GIFT 🎁?

If you do, I already suggest the date and the location. What about the end of February, Singapore 🇸🇬 @onechampionship #ONE is one of the most growing sports organization in the world 🌎

Merry Christmas @wandfc

@yodchatri @onechampjp@onechampionship let’s give to this amazing fans, this fight on the best platform of combat sports.”

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THE TIME IS TICKING #42 @wandfc — i heard that you are asking to fight me again? I hope this is true. I have a Christmas gift for you. — i am willing to give you the most anticipated #rematch that will ever happen in the #mma combat sports history. Do you accept my GIFT 🎁? If you do, I already suggest the date and the location. What about the end of February, Singapore 🇸🇬 @onechampionship #ONE is one of the most growing sports organization in the world 🌎 Merry Christmas @wandfc @yodchatri @onechampjp @onechampionship let’s give to this amazing fans, this fight on the best platform of combat sports. O tempo está passando #42 @wandfc – ouvi dizer que você está pedindo pra lutar comigo de novo? — Eu espero que isto seja verdade. Tenho um presente de Natal antecipado para você. – Estou disposto a te dar a #revanche mais esperada que vai acontecer na história do esportes de combate #mma. Espero que aceite meu PRESENTE de natal 🎁? Sugiro a data e o local do evento, final de fevereiro, Singapore 🇸🇬 @onechampionship O #ONE é uma das organizações esportivas que mais cresce no mundo 🌎 evento de altíssimo nível. Feliz Natal @wandfc @yodchatri @onechampionship @onechampjp Vamos dar esse presente a todos os amantes do esporte de combate. Eles merecem

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Former PRIDE middleweight champion Silva has reportedly signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, but is yet to make his debut. His most recent two outings ended in defeats to Chael Sonnen and Quinton Jackson and he ended his two-fight tenure in Bellator without a victory.