10 UFC Veterans That Challenge Their Age
2. Anderson Silva
A strong contender to be included on the Mount Rushmore of the UFC, Anderson Silva’s elaborate, eccentric and impressive performances bring him onto this list.
The mind boggles at how a 45-year-old, and the oldest fighter within the UFC, was able to go five rounds with the unbeaten Israel Adesanya just last year. Despite losing on the judge’s scorecards in what was the fight of the night at UFC 234 in Melbourne, Silva showed he can still compete at the highest level and put on a show to entertain martial arts fans around the world.
In just his second UFC appearance, Silva defeated Rich Franklin, to begin what would become the longest UFC championship reign in history. Finally losing his title in 2013, The Spider held the belt for a mammoth 2,457 days, in a run which featured a UFC record 16 consecutive victories in that period.
Despite just one win in his last eight fights, Silva is clearly not ready to leave the Octagon behind. Silva has shown his eagerness for another fight, first calling out Conor McGregor for a bout before accepting Anthony Pettis’ challenge. With Dana White rejecting both proposals, it remains to be seen what’s next for the Brazilian legend.