Sherdog Remembers: The Debut of ‘The Axe Murderer’

No one could have anticipated what was to follow when the first chapter in the Wanderlei Silva story was written on Nov. 1, 1996.

Twenty years ago today, “The Axe Murderer” made his professional mixed martial arts debut at Brazilian Vale Tudo Fighting 6, where he cut down Dilson Filho with punches 3:35 into the first round. Silva was just 20 at the time, but he was already displaying the violent tendencies that would make him one of the most beloved and accomplished fighters of all-time.

Filho poked the hornet’s nest from the start, as he executed a high-amplitude takedown, moved to side control and eventually kneed his counterpart right out of the ring. Once the battle resumed, wild punching exchanges ensued. It was not a wise course of action for Filho. Weary and winded, he tried to slow down Silva by stalling in the clinch and trapping him in the corners. The strategy was ineffective. Silva calmly created space with some close-quarters knees and unleashed a series of short right hands until his adversary collapsed. Filho never fought again. However, it was the start of something truly remarkable with Silva.

Over the two decades that followed, Silva emerged as a larger-than-life superstar in Pride Fighting Championships. He enjoyed an 18-fight unbeaten streak -- the Brazilian juggernaut went 16-0-1, with one no-contest -- between Aug. 12, 2000 and Oct. 31, 2004, during which he captured Pride gold at 205 pounds and won over Japanese crowds with his unadulterated ferocity and passion. Three victories over the iconic Kazushi Sakuraba and other notable wins over Quinton Jackson (twice), Dan Henderson and Hidehiko Yoshida highlighted his unprecedented tear. Silva held the Pride middleweight title for nearly six years, successfully defending it on four different occasions.

“The Axe Murderer” returned to the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 2007 for a long-awaited showdown with Chuck Liddell and wound up on the wrong side of a unanimous decision at UFC 79. His performance in defeat only served to further endear him to MMA fans across the globe. Though Silva never managed to recapture the magic that made him so successful in Pride, he nevertheless registered a handful of memorable wins inside the Octagon. Silva bested Keith Jardine, Michael Bisping, Cung Le and Brian Stann before his UFC tenure ended in disgrace.

On the sidelines since 2013, Silva will be back in action under the Rizin Fighting Federation banner on Dec. 29 in Saitama, Japan, where he meets Mirko Filipovic for a third time in the 2016 Rizin open weight grand prix. There, Silva plans to fill a few of the blank pages that remain in a story 20 years in the making.