Fan-favorite Anderson Silva is poised to return to the Octagon, and is interested in making some fans’ dreams come true.
Anderson Silva is an incredibly soft-spoken individual for a man who can render most humans completely inert — in a variety of fashions! — with ease. Of course, that should surprise no one who’s seen one of his many post-fight (post-win?) interviews, following a few rounds in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
It would be easy, but ultimately incorrect, to write that off as a result of his command of English — which is always improving and much better than my handle on his native Portuguese. It’s actually about who he is as a person, rather than the language he learned to speak in his home country of Brazil. Silva is a humble man whose concerns lie more in gratitude than in glory. After all, we’re talking about a man whose first instinct, when considering a record he’ll likely hold forever, is sadness for the one fighter who, until recently, stood a chance at beating it.
With the recent announcement — as Inquisitr reported at the time — that his October 2017 positive test for banned substances was the result of contaminated supplements, Silva was essentially vindicated of the charge of intentionally doping. The United States Anti-Doping Agency suspended him retroactively for a year, paving the way for “The Spider’s” return home to the grandest stage in professional MMA, the UFC’s trademarked Octagon. With the weight of a potentially tarnished reputation off his shoulders, Anderson Silva is ready to show the world why fight fans call him the GOAT.
He recently sat down with me to discuss his legacy — both inside and outside the cage — his Spider Kick brand and his future in the sport.
Anderson Silva: Hi, how are you?
Kevin Tall: I am well. Good afternoon, thank you for speaking with me today. Or should I say, obrigado por falar comigo hoje. Isso é literalmente tudo o que sei do português. [Thank you for speaking with me today. That is literally all I know of Portuguese.]
AS: Oh! That’s good. That’s great!
KT: Thank you. How are you doing?
AS: I’m very happy. I’m so… God… My life, my family, my friends. Yeah, I’m good. Everything is [good].
KT: I was encouraged when the USADA announced that your second test result was declared to be the result of a contaminated supplement. How does it feel to have that weight lifted off your shoulders?
AS: So, I feel more comfortable now. I think because it showed the world I’m not guilty, you know? That’s great for me and for my fans and for my credibility. That’s very important for me to continue my legacy, you know?
KT: Totally. When are you looking to make your UFC return?
AS: I don’t know, because I’m working hard on my projects in the movies and my company, Spider Kick, my bottom line, license, everything. I talked to my team about that and hopefully, I’ll come back very soon. I don’t know when, I don’t have the [exact] date, but maybe next year, I come back to fight.
KT: Are you planning to return to middleweight or are you considering more light heavyweight fights?
AS: I fight in the 185. That’s my weight class. A couple of times I fight at 205. Let’s see.
The future is completely open for me to fight at 205 or 185. But now it’s very difficult to tell you what is the class I fight [in]. Hopefully I come back to fight soon in my weight class, 185.
@marcosmion @marcosdunker @marcosmion @moncefito @maratleiras @luigicani @idriselba @spiderkick @nike @drjasonpark @killerbeesusa
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KT: It’s been a year and a half since your last fight. Looking at the current UFC landscape, who impresses you?
AS: Khabib [Nurmagomedov] is a great fighter. I’m very impressed. Conor [McGregor] is a great fighter. Having a new generation of fighters, especially in the UFC… this is a huge company that’s worked for a long time to get the great fighters in the sport.
I think Khabib is the best, here, in this moment.
KT: Who would you like to face in your next fight?
AS: I don’t know. I’m just waiting. I just talk to my team, talk to my company… about my next fight.
The more important [thing] for me is the result, USADA clearing my name. That’s the more important [thing]. Fighting is the next step. I love [to] fight. God bless you, I have my company now. It comes day-by-day. And my project in the movies. Everything comes. [I’m] spiritual and grateful. We’ll see. We’ll see when I come back to fight.
KT: Speaking about your company, Spider Kick, it’s a lifestyle brand. Tell me a little bit about it, why you chose to launch it and what you’ll be featuring.
AS: Spider Kick brand is part of my legacy. I try to continue my legacy outside the cage, outside of fighting good matches for the people. I’m using that clothing line to help people, for feeling much better, for feeling special. I just try to continue legacy; it doesn’t matter where. That’s the goal of my clothing line, for Spider Kick, for license, for everything.
KT: I’m noticing you’re getting more into acting, recently. What can you tell me about ‘The Invincible Dragon’?
AS: It’s my first big movie. [I was] in China for four months. I’m very, very happy because most people don’t understand how much [hard work] acting [is]. Especially action movies. I’m very happy… about this movie [being released] soon. Especially because everybody involved in this big project in China [are] amazing people. Director, producer, everybody [was] working hard and I’m very excited, very happy.
KT: And, according to your Instagram, you’ve been giving jiu-jitsu lessons to Jason Momoa. How did that come to be?
AS: Jason is my brother. I’m very happy, I’m very lucky because God [gave] me the opportunity [to] start good relationships [with] good people. Jason has a good family, is a great man [and] has a good heart. I just try to help Jason a little bit [with] martial arts. Jason is [an] amazing man. I need to say thank you. Thank you so much, God, for giving [me] that opportunity [to become] close to Jason, his family, his friends. And, yeah, Jason is an amazing guy.
Tudo acontece quando tem de acontecer, dentro de uma sintonia e de uma oportunidade que DEUS nos oferta com o intuito de nos ajudar a evoluir. É incrível o curso que nossas vidas tomam quando somos desprovidos de vaidade, soberba e outros… Milhões de coisas acontecem nas nossas vidas quando têm de acontecer, as coisas positivas vem sempre quando teu coração e tua mente estão prontos pra receber, pronto pra desfrutá-las. Jason, muito obrigado! Estar ao teu lado podendo passar todo conhecimento marcial que adquiri durante toda minha vida é uma honra. Obrigado, você tem uma família incrível e um coração fantástico! Everything happens when it has to happen, within a tuning and an opportunity that God offers us in order to help us evolve. It is incredible the course our lives take when we are devoid of vanity, pride and others … Millions of things happen in our lives when they have to happen, positive things always come when your heart and your mind are ready to receive, ready to enjoy them. Jason, thank you! Being by your side and being able to pass all the martial knowledge that I have acquired throughout my life is an honor. Thank you, you have an incredible family and a fantastic heart! @prideofgypsies
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KT: In addition to acting and the Spider Kick brand, what other plans do you have, professionally, outside of fighting?
AS: I [am] working [on] the big project to open my gym. It’s not for fighters; it’s about [opening] a big space for people to recover your body, especially athletes of different sports. It’s more a center to recover. That’s my big goal.
KT: You turned 43 in April. Do you plan to fight beyond your current UFC contract and would you consider fighting for any other promotion?
AS: I like UFC. The big [part of my] story [is] inside UFC, inside the Zuffa company. Of course, everything’s changed inside the company, but I have a good relationship with UFC. My goal is: finish my contract and finish my career. [If] this does not happen, of course I [will] go to [a] different company and make [a] good deal for me and for [the] company [to] continue my legacy. I have three more fights in UFC. I’m very happy. I have nothing bad to say about UFC… But I love UFC. Hopefully, I finish my career in UFC.
KT: You could always do a trilogy match with your friend Chael Sonnen in Bellator.
AS: Oh! Maybe! Yeah. I don’t know… Chael is a great fighter. The people talk a lot about Chael, but Chael is a great man, a great guy, beautiful family, you know? I respect Chael a lot.
KT: Your reign as the UFC’s Middleweight Champion lasted 2,457 days. With Demetrious Johnson’s recent loss to Henry Cejudo, that seems unlikely to ever be broken. How does that feel?
AS: I’m very sad about Demetrious because he’s a great fighter. He’s a great man. He [works] hard for every fight. I’m very sad. For me, that’s the great [thing] about ‘Oh, I’m the best,’ and I stay for [a] long time for defend the belt.
But that is not the point. The point is you [fight] good matches for the fans, for the people watching UFC, for families. But yeah, I’m very sad about Demetrious Johnson, because he’s young, he’s a good fighter and I respect him a lot.
KT: Fans have been talking for years about a fight between you and Georges St. Pierre. Would you be interested in fighting him?
AS: Yeah, absolutely. Georges is the great name in Canada, I’m the big name in Brazil… I believe everybody in this sport [would] like to see Georges and Anderson Silva in a super fight, you know?
Bom dia meu povo! “Para compreender as técnicas físicas você deve aprender que elas contêm uma porção de movimentos coordenados. Isso pode parecer bastante desajeitado para você, porque uma boa técnica inclui mudanças rápidas, grande coordenação e velocidade. Colocar a essência, o coração das ARTES MARCIAIS em seu próprio coração e tê-la como parte de si mesmo, significa uma compreensão total e o uso de um estilo livre. (Bruce Lee) ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Good morning, my people! In order to understand the physical techniques you must learn that they contain a lot of coordinated movements. This may seem rather awkward for you, because good technique includes quick changes, great coordination and speed. own heart and to have it as part of oneself, means a total understanding and the use of a free style. (Bruce Lee)
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KT: Definitely. Do you feel there is anything left for you to accomplish in your fighting career?
AS: You know, inside the cage, I believe maybe not. I’m completely happy. Now my goal is working hard outside the cage to inspire people, helping new talent — especially in Brazil — and I have one responsibility in the U.S. [The] U.S. give me everything, and [gave] me [an] opportunity for living here, in this country, with my family. And now I’m going to [be] working hard for my company to give everything back to [the] U.S.
KT: If you had to pick a fight from your career in which you feel you performed your best, which would it be?
AS: It’s very difficult for me [to talk] about that. When you go inside the cage, it’s timing. Sometimes you have the magic moment; sometimes your opponent has the magic moment. But it’s easy for me [to] talk about my best fight in my career. It’s my first fight in Japan in Shooto. I fight with Hayato Sakurai in Shooto when I take my first title belt.
KT: I don’t have any other questions for you; is there anything else you’d like to say to me or to UFC fans?
AS: I need to say ‘thank you’ for my fans. Thank you for supporting me, thank you for helping me and thank you for believing in me. Because I never lied to my fans, I never doing nothing bad to fight in my career. And that’s the amazing moment for me, for my fans, for my family. I need to say ‘thank you.’ Thank you, guys. Thank you for [giving] me the opportunity [to] talk to you. I’m sorry for my English; it’s not perfect but [I’m] working hard and I go to school every day for practice. And yeah, I need to say ‘thank you’ for my fans. I love you guys. Thank you so much. See you soon.
KT: Alright, thank you Anderson. I appreciate talking with you.
AS: No, thank you, my friend. God bless you. Thank you so much.
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