Legendary former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva is the latest name to be announced as an upcoming inductee to the UFC Hall of Fame, with “The Spider” set to be inducted this summer as part of the Class of 2023.
Silva compiled a career record of 34-11 (1 no contest) in a career spanning 23 years, with the Brazilian superstar holding the UFC middleweight title for 2,457 days to make him the most dominant champion in UFC history.
Now “The Spider” will be inducted into the Pioneer Wing of the UFC Hall of Fame during the 11th Annual UFC International Fight Week in Las Vegas in July.
The news was announced during UFC 286 in London, England, with a statement from UFC president Dana White paying tribute to the Sao Paulo native.
“Anderson Silva is one of the greatest athletes of all time,” he said.
“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.”
Silva’s career saw him fight a who’s who of MMA legends, with victories over Hall of Famers Forrest Griffin, Stephan Bonnar, Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin, as well as former UFC champions Vitor Belfort, Carlos Newton, ex-Strikeforce champ Nate Marquardt, and former WEC champions Chris Leben and James Irvin.
By the numbers: Anderson Silva
- Longest winning streak in UFC history – 16
- Longest title reign in UFC history – 2,457 days
- Most wins in UFC middleweight history – 11
- Most knockdowns in UFC middleweight history – 13
- Tied for most knockouts in UFC middleweight history – 8
- Tied for second-most wins in UFC middleweight history – 14
- Second-most consecutive title defenses in UFC history – 10
- Second-most knockdowns in UFC history – 18
- Fourth-most title fight wins in UFC history – 11
- Tied for fourth-most knockouts in UFC history – 11
- Tied for fourth-most finishes in UFC history – 14