The fight that won Anderson Silva the UFC middleweight championship. What more is there to say? Silva had already made a name for himself outside the UFC; upon joining the promotion's ranks, he was quickly given a title eliminator of sorts against fan favourite Chris "The Crippler" Leben (something Leben later stated he wasn't ready for, but didn't feel he could turn down). Silva won, and the UFC held a poll on its website to see who Silva would face next. A majority of fans chose champ Rich Franklin, and on October 14th, 2006 at UFC 64, Silva made history, knocking out the reigning champion with a knee in the very first round. The Silva era had begun. Prior to losing the belt to Silva, Franklin had defended the title twice, and had fought up in weight in the UFC, making him an extremely popular fighter. Fans who at the time were unfamiliar with Silva, who was better known outside English speaking markets, were shocked.
Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.
