Anderson Silva
Active 2006–present · rated in 2 editions · peak overall 93.0
Scouting report
A 2,457-day title reign, 16 consecutive UFC victories, and 10 title defenses mark the career of Anderson "The Spider" Silva. Hailing from Curitiba, Brazil, Silva struck with head movement and counter-striking, his output quantified by a 97 Kickboxing rating, 98 Fight IQ, and 93 Overall score.
Peak ratings
By edition
Silva defended his middleweight title between 2010 and 2013, knocking out Vitor Belfort with a front kick at UFC 126 in Las Vegas, stopping Yushin Okami in Rio, finishing Chael Sonnen in their UFC 148 rematch, and dismantling Stephan Bonnar before losing the belt to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 and breaking his leg in their UFC 168 rematch. His striking precision and head movement are reflected in a 94 Boxing and 97 Kickboxing.
Returning from extended layoffs, Silva engaged in a striking chess match against rising contender Israel Adesanya at UFC 234 in Melbourne in February 2019, before losing to Jared Cannonier by first-round TKO from a leg kick in Rio at UFC 237. His movement, counter-striking instincts, and ring generalship anchor his 89 Kickboxing and 94 Fight IQ ratings.
Anderson Silva: what invincible looked like from 2006 to 2012
For years Anderson Silva made professional fighters miss with their hands down and their chins up. He picked moments, not rounds, and ended fights with whichever limb was closest. The trade-off is that a couple of his ratings are shaky, so think about what else your build needs.
Silva attribute by attribute
Boxing. Timing and accuracy. He baited swings, dropped his hands, then countered like a sniper. The reverse elbow on Tony Fryklund is still one of the odder finishes in the archive.
Kickboxing. Muay Thai with a nasty edge. The front kick that finished Vitor Belfort and the plum clinch that took Rich Franklin apart with knees are the two clips people remember.
Wrestling. The weak link. Silva avoided takedowns with reflexes rather than a sprawl, and Chael Sonnen showed how far that could go.
BJJ. Underrated from his back. A Nogueira black belt, he submitted Sonnen with a triangle armbar in round five and tapped Dan Henderson.
Strength. Functional. Speed and leverage did most of the work, and strong grapplers could push him around in the clinch.
Durability. A superb chin in his prime. He let people hit him to frustrate them, though his reflexes were his main defense.
Cardio. Well paced. He rationed his output for counters, so five rounds never drained him.
Fight IQ. Psychological warfare. He drove opponents into leaving their game plans out of pure irritation.
The trait to take: Kickboxing
A single strike from any range can end a fight. Silva's striking package gives a composite that option, whether from the plum or from the outside.
The trait to skip: Wrestling
Takedown defence was a recurring problem against strong wrestlers. Take it and your fighter may spend rounds underneath somebody.
Keep exploring
Closest middleweight profiles to Anderson Silva, measured by how near their peak attribute ratings sit across all eight categories.
- Israel Adesanyabest kickboxing 98 · weakest bjj 78
- Gegard Mousasibest boxing 89 · weakest wrestling 80
- Robert Whittakerbest cardio 92 · weakest bjj 80
- Lyoto Machidabest kickboxing 90 · weakest strength 78
- Middleweight division guide: how the whole division rates and who to draft from it.
- The most complete fighters: a guide that fits Anderson Silva's strongest attribute, Fight IQ.
Draft Anderson Silva into your build
Anderson Silva enters the pool on any spin landing on middleweight between 2010 and 2019. Spin, draft eight attributes, then simulate 25 fights.
Ratings shown are my own estimates, made with AI assistance and informed by how Anderson Silva is regarded by the MMA community. They are unofficial and do not constitute an assessment of Anderson Silva's real-world abilities. How the ratings are made. See the disclaimer below. Ratings and write-ups by Haaris A. Last reviewed 2026-09-30; spot an error? Tell us. Read our editorial standards.