“The Axe Murderer” is a UFC Hall of Famer.
Wanderlei Silva was officially announced as the second UFC Hall of Fame class member for 2024 Saturday night at UFC 298.
Silva’s 22 victories were the most in PRIDE history, which included fights against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Kazushi Sakuraba, and other notable MMA legends and former champions.
Silva’s UFC run did not result in a championship, but it did include legendary classics against Chuck Liddell, Michael Bisping, Brian Stann and Rich Franklin (2x), to name a few.
Silva was a pioneer of Brazilian MMA, demonstrating a human highlight-reel of finishes that have to be replayed over and over again to be believed.
UFC CEO Dana White said in a statement that Silva’s impact will never be forgotten.
“Wanderlei Silva is one of the true pioneers of the sport of MMA,” White said. “Wanderlei was an absolute savage who left his mark by delivering some of the most memorable fights in combat sports history. He had legendary fights against Mirko Cro Crop, Chuck Liddell, Dan Henderson, Brian Stann, and his fights against Rich Franklin, as they were absolute wars! He was also one of the early superstars of PRIDE who helped grow the MMA fanbase on a global scale, and it will be an honor to induct him into the UFC Hall of Fame this summer.”
Silva finished his career with 51 fights, which included a resume which dates back to 1996.
Silva received a large pop from the Honda Center crowd, as he will get inducted ahead of UFC International Fight Week and its corresponding event June 29.
More must-reads: