Sherdog’s Top 10: Winningest UFC Fighters
Brian KnappSep 21, 2016
Silva’s reign of terror over the UFC’s middleweight division may never be equaled. No other champion in MMA history was as dominant in a given weight class as the Brazilian was in his.
“The Spider” broke into the UFC by annihilating Chris Leben in 49 seconds, leaving an immediate footprint at 185 pounds. He was awarded a title shot against Rich Franklin four months later. Silva raked Franklin’s body and face at UFC 64 on Oct. 14, 2006, taking out the former math teacher in less than three minutes. The victory touched off the longest title reign in MMA history, as “The Spider” ruled the 185-pound weight class for almost seven years. Naturally, the wins piled up. Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote, Thales Leites, Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen (twice), Vitor Belfort and Yushin Okami were all victimized, along with Franklin in their October 2007 rematch.
Not until July 6, 2013 was Silva knocked from his pedestal. His penchant for showboating finally caught up to him in the UFC 162 headliner, as Chris Weidman knocked him unconscious with a clean left hook and follow-up punches at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After 2,457 days, Silva’s historic reign was done.
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