Anderson Silva Is 41 Today, And We're Celebrating With His Five Most Brutal Knockouts Ever
Anyone who's just getting into MMA might be surprised to learn that Anderson Silva is a legend. The Spider, who turns 41 today, could be the greatest MMA fighter of all-time, but you'd hardly know it by how little he dominates the headlines.
Those who do remember his prime, know there was once no one in MMA who could compete with the sheer athleticism and superior fight skills of the Brazilian southpaw. And even though raw power was never Silva's game, he remains one of the most entertaining knockout artists to ever get into the cage.
His perfect timing, unmatched accuracy, and tremendous IQ have allowed him to rack up 20 knockouts over his 42 career fights. Here are our five favorites, coming by way of punch, kick, knee and elbow.
The Knee to Stephan Bonnar
The casual right hand to Forrest Griffin
The right elbow to Tony Fryklund
The front kick to Vitor Belfort
The right, right, right, right, right, right to James Irvin
And one bonus, because we can never talk about Silvia without thinking about the time his leg snapped in half like a Slim Jim.