“My great fight was against Liddell. I lost via decision but it was one of the fights that I most enjoyed to be part of. He was tough, had heavy hands, I was able to handle him and knock him down in the second round, we gave an amazing show.”

Brazilian former mixed martial artist

Wanderlei Silva is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who fought in Japan’s Pride Fighting Championships and in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Born in 1976, he became one of the defining figures of the Pride era and is associated with some of the promotion’s key records. He is the former PRIDE Middleweight Champion and won the 2003 PRIDE Middleweight Grand Prix Tournament. Silva also competed later for Bellator MMA in the light heavyweight and heavyweight divisions. In February 2024, he was announced as the next inductee in the UFC Hall of Fame’s pioneer wing.