Over the course of his 16-year UFC career, middleweight champion Anderson Silva was known as “The Spider,” the G.O.A.T, and the Medusa of MMA. Hear what made him spectacular from the legends, stars and titleholders who had the fortune - or misfortune - to face him in the Octagon. With Forrest Griffin, Michael Bisping, Chael Sonnen and more.
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He fought the way we fight in our heads. That's what makes him the GOAT for me.
Perfectly said!
Yes sir!
And to think some fools tried to compare him with Izzy.. Predominantly Izzy 🤣
@@paprikash8574the comparison was from pre title Izzy days, when he was taking the UFC by storm, now he’s just a walking meme
Faaaaaaaaacts
As a kid I didn’t get to watch Michael Jordan, I got to watch Anderson Silva the Jordan of MMA.
Jake Paul’s son
Actually Lutter is the Michael Jordan of Jiu Jitsu according to Mike Goldberg during the cage entrance of that fight🤣
Jordan is the Anderson Silva of basketball
tell us you don't know shit about Silva without telling us you don't know shit about Silva...
@@nimzzor tell me about Silva then I’ve only been watching for 15+ years.
The golden age of the sport. Nothing but legends and warriors. The newer fans of the sport will never understand what they missed. RIP Stephan Bonnar.
yup
😂😂😂 You have no idea about fighting if that's what you think.
@@JaemanEdwards enlighten me genius
@@mdwv872 Well it's all quite logical sir. The sport and the athletes are 10 years advanced from when no name bums were making the Spider look like the matrix. You had terrible fighters like Chael Sonnen as stars. Strikers had no takedown defence and grapplers had no striking. Fk I could go on forever . In fairness to you, I only started watching the UFC regularly around I think 2016. So I wasn't there at Andersons height of ability. But I've since seen most of his fights and who he fought. He's on my GOAT mountain, so I definitely rate him. But the overall standard of fighting was not great. You are obviously passionate about this sport which is just great. But I think sentimentality is coming into the equation. I come from rugby and I see old dudes claim the stars from yesterday would run rings around today's players. But the reality is those players were half the size, half the speed, and had half the skills. They like you have warm memories of those warriors. And there is nothing wrong with that. I was just having a cheeky dig. All good my man. Each to their own.
@@JaemanEdwards first of all I appreciate the respect 🤝 and I’m glad we’re fans of the same sport. I’ve been watching this sport since 2003 when I was 13. But my last point here is that we are in agreement without even knowing it lol. I completely agree that the fighters today are better. They’re more well rounded fighters who started training at a younger age in every discipline, whereas those fighters of old were guys who started with wrestling or boxing or karate and then transitioned to mma later on. Plus it’s more mainstream so it’s been attracting better athletic talent. So I’m in full agreement with you there. The only thing I was saying is that it was a special time, the golden age. It was where the pioneers of the sport were still fighting. Yes, a lot of cans, but also legends: Fedor, Cro Cop, Nog, Liddell, Hendo, Wanderlei, Shogun, Rampage, and the list could endlessly go on. These guys were characters!
I'm so glad I was an MMA fan during Anderson Silva's reign. The GOAT of MMA.
I have the exact same feeling, MMA will never be that good again.
Jon jones my dude
@@StacNStuff not even close Jones didnt lose but got beat up a few times all throughout his prime. Silva was on another planet in his prime
@@StacNStuffJones couldn’t never imagine in his dreams to be as dominant as Anderson was. People don’t realize how light years he was. He was on a whole other level
On a different note, Chael Sonnen was my favorite UFC clown....
RIP Stephan Bonnar Nice to see him on this video
I didn’t know he passed. What happened ?
@sergionancy9581 heart failure i think
@@sergionancy9581 Fentanyl overdose
It was later revealed by the Clark County coroner’s office that Bonnar had died from an accidental fentanyl overdose@@sergionancy9581
@@sergionancy9581poor dude od’d on fentanyl
In his prime he had a 16 fight win streak in the UFC. Only 2 of those fights went to decision. 14 finishes in 16 fights is a godly finish rate especially being champion and fighting the best of the best repeatedly
And he fought in lighthwavyweight too. And win. 😂😂😂
@@randyarman5978I’m so mad Dana was against Double Champs back then cuz Anderson would’ve been the first.
He will always be the GOAT for me; in his prime,no one could defeat him!!!
Nobody could defeat Anderson Silva in his prime except himself
LOL. Nobody ever beats any GOAT during their prime.. wtf?!
@@jordanbabcock9349 Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Lennox Lewis, GSP, Daniel Cormier, Amanda Nunes, Giorgio Petrosyan etc all lost in their primes
Yea it would have taken Jon to beat him lol
@@OfficiallyWrexx no,IT would have take jon jones to have some cocaine,together...
Anderson Silva was the closest thing to a real life video game character.
He was prime Roy Jones
Man it’s sad to see Stephan bonnar now he’s passed away. So cool you had this footage from before.
As opposed to footage from the future? Redundant
Anderson was untouchable in his prime. It's not just that he was as dominant as he was for as long as he was but he was also one of, if not the most spectacular finishers the sport has ever seen. Truly a once in a lifetime type of talent. I'm bleesed to have witnessed his legendary career from start to finish 🇧🇷🕸🕷
Jake Paul’s son
Cockiness was the reason he lost and then his downfall began
@@leevine3911 he was that way from start to finish, live by the sword die by the sword. All part of the mystique
@@dcarson89 Yes but in the first match he lost , he became way too cocky
@leevine3911 that wasn't his first loss, hard to stay focused I'm sure when you have been so dominant for so long. Trust me nobody was as angry and as upset as I was with the clowning that night. I genuinely thought he went down as a joke
Sonnen's explanations of his fights with Silva were amazing.
Anderson Silva was so good, people act like his competition was weak and he lacks skill. Put Prime Anderson Silva in the Middleweight division today, guaranteed he becomes Champion.
Keep in mind he took Izzy to a competitive decision only a few years ago and he was far past his prime. Prime Anderson in today's MW division would dominate like he did back then.
@@dt089 prime .. and focused Silva = unstoppable
Eh probably not
For real if his competition was so weak why wasn’t there another person doing what he was doing? He was taking everyone out who was in front of him in his era that’s all you can base it off if
Anybody who says prime Silva isn't champ today is just dumb or blinded by recency bias hype
Respect to Chael Sonnen for keeping it a buck.
It's weird watching a new piece with Bonnar being interviewed. For a second there I forgot he's dead
Silva is the greatest martial artist we have ever seen. Even into his late 40s after snapping his leg in half and doing things like fighting a prime DC on 4 days notice he still showed flashes of greatest against the worlds best. Never afraid to take crazy chances. He was magical in his prime. Lighting quick unpredictability on the feet with matrix like head movement and could submit you on the ground as well. Even made it a point to submit most of the grapplers he ever faced, even while going into the Chael fight with a fractured rib. New fans just don't get it and he gets disrespected by recency bias hype too much. People forget how good he was. Prime Silva is still champ today.
Dc was old aswell. Thats not prime DC either, do u not remember his age when he fought silva?
He was literally the 205 champ preparing to fight Jon Jones for UFC 200 hadn't even beat Stipe yet tf you talking about that was definitely still prime DC@@navjitbassi03
@@navjitbassi03bro he fought DC on 4 days notice at 42 years old , he's a middleweight and a small one. DC is a heavyweight. The only reason DC went down to 205 is because of Cain fighting at heavyweight. Anderson is the greatest of all time and I'm a GSP fan. But Anderson finished all his fights on spectator fashion and the fighters he beat were all in there primes when he went on his run until he snapped his leg literally in half. GOAT
@@navjitbassi03I think DC wasn't even champ then, or was still the champ
@irvingceron1016 he was the champ and was gona fight a returning jon jones who lost the title due to suspension
The first time I saw Anderson Silva fight, it was live in hawaii against Yushin Okami at Rumble On The Rock 8. I'll never forget that day. Long live the legend 🙏🏾
The up kick ko! Great tournament wasn't Shields and Condit in it?
There will never be another Anderson silva
Dana White says the 🇧🇷 Carlos Prates reminds him of Anderson Silva, that's high praise and he's legit look up his fights for context.
Michael Venom Page
He was so impressive in victory, no matter who they threw at him. That after awhile I think a lot of us were watching his fights focused more on if he’d lose than anything else.
Jake Paul’s son
if you think about it, you can see why he got bored and sloppy they were not giving him proper challengers and he started clowning around too much due to boredom
@@beaualoevvStop It, Jake Paul Is A Big Ass 🐱 That's why he Doesn't go to MMA because they would bounce His Head Like a Basketball off the Mat 😂
Anderson is the GOAT
But Chael is undefeated champion still!
@@Wayne_jetski😂😂😂😂
It’s good someone posted this cos people seem to forget how much better than everyone else silva was, they better put sim respect on the man’s name 💯💯💯
When I first saw Anderson Silva fight, it was like watching a Bruce Lee film; but without the choreography. At that point I began watching every available fight with him and gradually realized that I may be watching the greatest combat athlete, ever. And then came Jon Jones...
Yep…feel the same way back in the day
Here's my biggest complaint, and reason I put Silva just a smidge over JBJ. Silva fought at 185 & 205. He fought, and beat bigger opponents. Bones on the other hand fought guys who were all smaller (height) than him. And when he did fight someone his size (guss) he had the fight of his life...lost that one IMHO. But he never went to HW in those days. He takes years of to gain weight, and then beat an OK champ at best. Now he's hurt and who knows when or if he'll fight again. Silva did it several times and won with relative ease while still champ at 185. Even GSP couldn't, or didn't do that. Silva is the true GOAT. Hespect
@@nightkap35GSP fought Micheal Bisbing at middleweight. And Jon is a overall better fighter than Silva.
@frankiemartin3333 I'm talking about when they were in their primes. GSP wanted nothing to do with Anderson Silva and would not accept a fight with him. .. or any other middleweight at the time. He was only interested in competing at welterweight..... well Silva went up to light heavyweight and dominated. Jones on the other hand seems to be doing everything he can to not fight anybody but a smaller heavyweight that he knew for a matter of fact he could beat easily. I don't see him challenging himself like Anderson did.
@@nightkap35 true that. But I think Jon Jones actually has potential to become the best heavyweight of all time also. Jons wrestling 🤼 can actually still take him far before he hits 40.
Man…. RIP Stephan Bonnar. That was kind of tough to watch, with the way he goes “too late” about that promo he wanted to cut. The guy deserved a better ending to his life.
with that being , anybody is more than 90% responsible for whatever he becomes in life
Easily the most entertaining, enthralling and outstanding fighter in the history of the UFC.
Respect for Chael Sonnen for being so humble even after defending every shot with his face❤
Still get goosebumps all these years later watching him! Crazy!
So awesome to finally see this man get the respect he deserved. 🐐
One of the greatest athletes in combat sports for me. His legacy will hopefully live forever
SIlvas reign was legendary, the fact he still fought past his prime was legendary too. Jones will not fight after a loss, Silva kept it going because hes a true warrior - he was better on his 40's than most MW in their prime. He was the man from the MARTIX, untouchable.
Aderson Silva one of the greatest to step in the octagon.
Changed mma forever with his skillset, no doubt deserves all the praise as an incredible fighter. Changed the sport, greatly appreciate everything you have accomplished. huge fan of your work.
I was 13 when i watched him rearrange Rich Franklins face and i thought it was the wildest shit i had seen in my life so far. That Thai clinch was absolutely devastating in both of their fights and it looked unfair 😂
I am grateful that watched he's fights in his prime.
My man's greatness started WAY before the UFC...follow this man's entire career...MAGICAL!
The way the sport has evolved, it's gonna take an ungodly amount of talent to be this ahead of the game again like the spider was!
he’s the reason i’m obsessed with combat sports
The Griffin knockout is my favorite of all time.
Not only was his run through champions who were ALL in there primes , insane. He finished them. He is the greatest of all time. Simple as that. GSP comes in second as far as a champion but Anderson was untouchable and just the greatest. Respect to the GOAT 💯
Love how honest Forrest is
He wasn’t very sportsmanlike immediately after he lost, which I totally understand. He’s able to look back on everything without emotion and see it like it is. That’s impressive to me.
I’m 25 been watching the ufc CONSISTENTLY since 2009…Anderson is the greatest fighter in ufc history hands down
The Sonnen vs Anderson first fight will go down as one of the greatest mma fights ever, I remember watching it with my family and friends and thinking, Anderson Silva is about to lose for the first time in the UFC and then watching him find a way to win in the last round, INCREDIBLE.
"The god damn guy in starbucks knows who anderson silver is" - Mike Bisping
That chael sonnen first fight vs. silva was so insane when i saw it, i thought chael had it in the bag, and then that triangle snapped up. In his prime i dont think i saw anyone come as close to dethroning him
Except for Chael.
The spider is the reason why I love MMA
He made me a fan of the sport watching his highlights back in 2011 on KZhead, his skillset was next level compared to the athletes back then.
More GOAT than any fighter
He’s a true legend. Sparred him once, lasted 3 punches.
What an era this was in the UFC - great memories. Anderson Silva is truly one of the best OGs to ever do it! ❣
Evertime he stepped into the octogon he did something jaw dropping.. an honour to watch him in his prime
What a WILD run. All of the legends he had beaten in that win streak is ridiculous
I feel for people who got into the UFC late and didn't get to watch his reign during it's peak.
Im glad ufc giving Anderson his flowers he deserves while hes still around to feel the appreciation, good job with this one UFC 👏
That coming from the baddest mouth Chael Sonnen makes Silva undeniable. ❤
RIP Bonnar
Anderson really made me love the sport. I haven’t seen such a excellence in fighting since then. The thing that surprises me the most is the amount of legends of the sport he fought against. This guys are so good, really if you know or not the sport, you know how good they are. Legends.
man so legendary the ufc couldnt even get an interview with him
Nothing was as fun as the 00’s for me as a kid watching guys like this was a blast.shout to sonnen for being humble about Anderson now.
For me Anderson is the greatest mma fighter ive ever seen (been watching since the late 90s) and sure there are some amazing fighters that have a better record like Jon Jones, Khabib, GSP, etc but there was just something about how Silva won fights, the way he did it, it was like watching a video game. My kid brother, who is really into the sport nowadays, says that back in the days compare to now fighters were bums, like the progression of sport its really off the charts now but like MJ, Anderson just made me stare in awe at what he was doing to the competition. The GOAT.
Anyone who has been watching as long as we have understands the true reverence for Anderson. People may disagree to an extent since everyone has their favorites. But, no one can ever really argue that Anderson isn't amongst the all-time greats. He often gets left out in today's MMA history landscape. Anderson is either the greatest of all time, or he's top 3. There is no other credible answer.
“Ballet of violence.” Fitting.
No doubt the GOAT!
The way silva praises his opponents at the end after he wins is so dope, especially sonnen cause he knew sonnen truly earned his respect. And bisping of course.
Respect to all the awesome fighters that Respect fighters
My favorite thing about Silva is his respect towards his opponents
love Forrest griffin his energy in this vid! great sportmanship!
This video is 🔥🔥🔥 we need more of these
It was so awesome to watch this. I been a fan since the 90s. I was in my 20s in the 2000s. So this brought back great memories.
What a legend this is how I start watching UFC..
Griffin came in Swinging the Caveman Style. I love his honesty. 😂😂😂
He doesn’t have a good record. He isn’t undefeated but this guy one of the greatest martial artists I have ever seen in my entire life. He is a REALLY artist. GOAT 🐐 and I don’t care about 0 in lose record.
Huh?? Not a good record,?? Bro you talking about a few loses when he was 42 ? Lol after he snapped his leg. Went up to 205 against cormier in short notice at 43 years old. Got robbed against bisbing. He's the greatest MMA fighter ever by far. Not only did he dominate, he finished his fights with flash
The disrespect is crazy@@KobeIsG.O.A.T
one word to describe the GOAT wizard
He was a fighter of once in a lifetime. Seeing Stephen Bonnar makes me feel sad, as a guy who also has issues with opioids. RIP
THE REAL GOAT
A master talent and amazing to watch when someone actually wanted to fight/engage with him.
Anderson may be the only fighter I've seen that made his opponents look like they had NO business in the same ring/cage with him.
It was wild watching the UFC LEVEL UP UPON THE LANDING DESTRUCTION & CONFUSION THAT WAS SILVA
Chael just has such a great analysis of the sport.
Also, really cool Comicbook inspired edits. Real nice
Tital should be like this" Greatest fighter on Planet ".
Good on these guys showing paying Silva homage and praise,humility!God bless yall!
What i love about him the most, is the same thing i love about machida, the humility and respect of a true martial artist
Anderson was so smooth. Really nice to saw this in this time
I watched UFC because of these fighters! They are the best!
When he broke his leg in the Wideman fight it was a pivotal moment for the sport and his career. When he was on he was so dominant
Dana: these things he does, can only be done in video game 😂😂😂
Much respect for all the fighters on this video.
Anderson Silva inspired generations.. what a fighter
Greatest martial ARTIST of all times, hands down. Extremely skilled performer that made us all enjoy the ride with him. You just wouldn't know what to expect from the Spider, although one thing was right..
Ufc you're realy doing great things on youre youtube channels i love it
He is like a hero from myths and legends
Unreal! Favourite fighter! During that era it was we were watching fights to see the other guy lose
The Greatest! Thank you UFC. Can you please upload some UFC Fightography Tournaments and Pioneers of MMA please?
RIP Stephen Bonnar. Gone way to soon
Another good guy like Evan Tanner.
Spider's combination of reflexes, agility, striking arsenal, head movement, sharpness, unpredictability and boldness was unquestionably the best ever. To make it even worse: Dude hit hard, had a granite chin, had phenomenal JJ skills and some of the most lethal Muay Thai strikes ever in a MMA fighter.
Look at the people he fought all of them are legends.This generation was different
People talk about the evolution of the sport but still there hasn't been a striker yet who could be as close to Silva. And the moment he triangled choke Sonnen at the last second proved he was the complete mixed martial artist.
Absolute legend in a class only held by a few in all of sports.
That Silva ! Silva! Silva! chant at the end.....
I never knew Forrest Griffin had such a sense of humour, the guy is funny as hell
Man, broke my heart when I saw Stephen....RIP to a pioneer
The best of all times 🕷️
his resume ends all debates , true GOAT