Silva made his UFC debut as part of UFC BRAZIL: ULTIMATE BRAZIL, which took place on October 16, 1998 in Sao Paulo. He faced UFC 12 heavyweight tournament champion and future UFC light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort, losing by punches 44 seconds into the first round.
Following his loss to Belfort, Silva would return to Vale Tudo and score two victories before returning to the Octagon® and defeating Tony Petarra via first round knockout at UFC 20: BATTLE FOR GOLD on May 7, 1999.
Silva left the UFC and won his next three fights at PRIDE FC, a legendary Japanese MMA promotion, before returning to the Octagon to face future UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz for the title vacant UFC light heavyweight in the main event of UFC 25: ULTIMATE JAPAN 3. Silva and Ortiz would go the distance and Tito would win the title by unanimous decision.
After losing his shot at the UFC light heavyweight title, Silva spent the next seven years competing primarily in Japan for PRIDE FC. During this time, he fought 25 times for Japan, becoming the PRIDE FC middleweight champion by defeating future UFC Hall of Famer Kazushi Sakuraba at PRIDE 17 in 2001. Silva defended successfully won the title four times and his reign would last 1,939 days. the longest title won in PRIDE FC history.
During his tenure as middleweight champion, Silva also competed in the 2003 PRIDE FC Middleweight Grand Prix, defeating Sakuraba, as well as four-time world judo champion and three-time Olympic medalist Hidehiko Yoshida and former heavyweight champion UFC light heavyweight Quinton Jackson to become the Middleweight Grand Prix. Price champion. His victory would make history as the first athlete to win a PRIDE championship and Grand Prix. He would also compete in the 2005 and 2006 Grands Prix, qualifying for the semi-finals each year.
Silva returned to the UFC in 2007 to face former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in the co-main event of UFC 79: NEMESIS. Silva would lose by unanimous decision, but he would become a fan favorite as the fight earned several “Fight of the Year” accolades from the media.
Over the next six years, Silva would face top contenders in the UFC’s middleweight and lightweight divisions. He defeated former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann by knockout in the main event of UFC on FUEL TV: SILVA vs. STANN on March 3, 2013. This would be his last fight in the UFC. He would compete two more times outside the Octagon before retiring on September 29, 2018.
Silva enters the UFC Hall of Fame with an impressive resume that includes:
CFU:
- Most KOs in Zuffa history (PRIDE/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce) – 19
- Most knockdowns in Zuffa history (PRIDE/UFC/WEC/Strikeforce) – 27
PRIDE:
- Most wins in PRIDE history – 22
- Most KOs in PRIDE history – 15
- Most reversals in PRIDE history – 18
- Largest strikes in PRIDE history – 720
- Longest undefeated fight streak in PRIDE history – 20 (18-0-1, 1 NC)
- Longest reign in PRIDE history as middleweight champion – 1,939 days
- Tied for most football kick/stomp knockouts in PRIDE history – 4
Outside of the Octagon, Silva has received numerous awards during his career, receiving KO of the decade distinctions in 2004 by Sports Illustrated for his knockout of Quinton Jackson at PRIDE 28. In 2008, he received Fight of the Year for his UFC Hall of Fame fight Chuck Liddell at UFC 79, and KO of the year for his knockout of Keith Jardine at UFC 84 during the Fighters only World MMA Awards. In 2020, Sem Coleiraa Portuguese biography of his life, has been published.
Originally from Curitiba, Brazil, Silva began training in Muay Thai and kickboxing when he joined Chute Boxe Academy. As a member of the Brazilian military, he also began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. He currently lives in Curitiba, with his wife and children.
To view Silva’s UFC FIGHT PASS collection, please visit: https://ufcfightpass.com/playlist/20539
To view a complete list of UFC athletes and fights enshrined in the UFC Hall of Fame, as well as details regarding the UFC Hall of Fame format, please visit UFCHOF. For more information, please visit UFC.com.