Wanderlei César da Silva, aka “The Axe Murderer,” is one of the most feared strikers in mixed martial arts history and one of the first to showcase how effective Muay Thai could be. A product of Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil, Silva earned his nickname by viciously stopping his opponents with knees, kicks, and punches.
In his prime, Silva was one of the best MMA fighters ever to lace up their gloves, and there was rarely a dull moment in any of his fights. This article will examine the life and career of Wanderlei Silva and discuss what up-and-coming fighters can learn from him.
From The Streets To The MMA Cage
Born in 1976, Wanderlei Silva started his journey to becoming “The Axe Murderer” growing up in the mean streets of Curitiba, Brazil. He had many street fights before he ever walked inside a gym.
Silva’s tenacity on the streets caught the interest of a local gym owner, who convinced him to start training mixed martial arts. He was 13 when he started training at the Chute Boxe Academy. He started winning tournaments soon after he started training. His skills now backed his toughness and aggression.
Silva went on to enlist in the Brazilian Army in his late teens, and his fighting skills earned him an invitation to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Vale Tudo school.
Transition Into Mixed Martial Arts
Silva made his MMA debut in 1996, fighting for an organization called Brazilian Vale Tudo Fighting. He knocked out his opponent, Dilson Filho, a few minutes into the contest.
Silva compiled a 5-1 record fighting in local circuits. That caught the eye of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he was matched up against Vitor Belfort at UFC Brazil. It turned out Wanderlei wasn’t ready for the big stage yet, as he got knocked out 44 seconds into the contest.
The loss against Belfort was a minor setback, and Silva once again found himself fighting in regional circuits. He racked up spectacular finishes and landed his second contract with the UFC. During that bout, Wanderlei lived up to his moniker, knocking Tony Petarra out cold with a spectacular knee.
After that win, Wanderlei landed a spot with Pride FC, where he went undefeated for 20 consecutive fights, with one draw against Mirko Cro Cop, and a no-contest. It was during this period that Silva became an MMA legend. Some of the big names he won during his brutal reign in Pride include Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Dan Henderson, and Kazushi Sakuraba.
Silva won Pride FC’s inaugural middleweight title when he first fought Sakuraba and successfully defended it four times. Champions didn’t always defend their titles when they fought during those days. Wanderlei also won the 2003 Grand Prix during his reign and got to the semifinals in 2005.
Silva was so dominant during his prime his opponents often questioned their career choices after facing him. His fighting style was terrifying, with his relentless attacks and crisp Muay Thai. Wanderlei also gave us some of the best stare-downs in MMA history. He really did look like an axe murderer who was about to destroy their victim before the bell rang.
Wanderlei Silva is undoubtedly the scariest boogeyman mixed martial arts has ever had.
Wanderlei Moves West
After making a name for himself in Japan, Wanderlei signed his first multiple-fight contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship 2007. Pride FC dominated the early years of mixed martial arts, but the UFC was quickly becoming a more popular brand.
His first fight was against Chuck Liddell. Fans had demanded the fight for years, given the two were considered the best strikers in the game. That fight became one of the greatest bouts in MMA history as the two went toe-to-toe for three rounds.
Silva went on to win only one of his first four fights when he returned to the Octagon, with his only victory being a first-round knockout of Keith Jardine at UFC 84. He won three of his last five fights with the promotion, scoring victories against Michael Bisping, Cung Le, and Brian Stann.
Despite Silva being on the tail end of his career when he returned to the UFC, he remained a fan-favorite because of his aggressive style, winning five Fight of the Night, two Knockout of the Night, one Fight of the Year (2008), and one Knockout of the Year (2008) award during his nine fights in the UFC after his return. He succeeded in establishing himself as one of the most decorated fighters to ever fight with the promotion. Silva then went on to fight twice in Bellator, losing to Chael Sonnen and Quinton Jackson.
The Legend Of Wanderlei Silva
Watching Silva fight was like witnessing controlled chaos. He fought like a tornado, destroying everything in his path. His pace was often too much for opponents as he constantly pressured them with forward movement and nasty kicks that looked like he was trying to decapitate them.
Wanderlei’s skills as a showman were as impressive as his fighting skills. He knew how to get any crowd pumped up with his legendary stare-downs that screamed he was getting ready to go into full berserker mode.
Facing Silva inside the cage wasn’t just a fight; it was psychological warfare, and he was a master at it.
Life After Mixed Martial Arts
Despite how scary Silva was inside the cage, he’s a surprisingly kind-hearted individual outside it. He is involved with several charities in Brazil and founded a gym called Wand Fight Team. He also ran for political office elections and published a biography in 2020.
Silva has been diagnosed with symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and he’s expressed his wish to have his brain donated for research.
A Legend In And Outside The Cage
Wanderlei is one of the most accomplished mixed martial artists to ever step into a ring or cage. He still holds the record for most knockouts in the history of ZUFFA (the parent company of the UFC and Pride) with 19 and the record for the most knockdowns at 27, and has seemingly mastered the art of being tenacious while remaining technically disciplined, making him a massive problem for anyone he faced. Despite all his accomplishments and his fearsome persona, Wanderlei carries himself with a heart of gold outside the cage, embodying both humility and kindness.
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