To suggest the list of those who will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2023 is getting more notable would be an understatement. Anderson Silva, a former lengthy middleweight champion, will be a part of this year’s class, as was revealed during the broadcast of UFC 286 that took place on Saturday in London.
Soon after making his debut in the UFC in 2006, “The Spider” began his meteoric rise to superstardom, which included stops in several outside promotions such as PRIDE. After his performance that night against TUF grad Chris Leben, he was given a title opportunity against Rich Franklin, whom he promptly destroyed twice in a brutal way.
After fighting Franklin to win the 185-pound championship, Silva went on to enjoy an exceptionally long tenure as champion, defending his belt for consecutive seven years to keep his title. In the end, he was defeated by Chris Weidman in 2013, and he was never able to regain the championship belt.
In addition to his accomplishments, Silva was involved in two distinct doping scandals in the years 2015 and 2017. According to USADA, the former was caused by the use of anabolic steroids, whilst the latter was solely the result of contaminated pills. These transgressions might have, in the eyes of some people, damaged his already legendary legacy at the time.
Despite the fact that Silva has repeatedly failed drug tests, a significant portion of the mixed martial arts (MMA) community continues to hold the opinion that he is worthy of such an honor.
In 2020, Silva competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for the final time, losing via technical knockout in the fourth round to Uriah Hall. His record in mixed martial arts (MMA) presently stands at 34-11 (with 1 NC), and he has also racked up solid wins in boxing, including a victory against a former champion named Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. This coming July, he will be inducted into the hall of fame.