Anderson Silva Is 41 Today, And We’re Celebrating With His Five Most Brutal Knockouts Ever

The Spider is one of the greatest knockout artists MMA has ever seen.

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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

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nvQhfDFRkg

The casual right hand to Forrest Griffin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJDuOa3ZXn4

The right elbow to Tony Fryklund

The front kick to Vitor Belfort

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhkoqvXMd9k

The right, right, right, right, right, right to James Irvin

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxJmiw-JvME

And one bonus, because we can never talk about Silvia without thinking about the time his leg snapped in half like a Slim Jim. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dQzYM8Bpgs

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