Former longtime pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva once again returns to the octagon on Saturday when he takes on Derek Brunson in the UFC 208 co-main event.
Silva (33-8 MMA, 16-4 UFC) is arguably the most accomplished fighter in MMA history and will make his 22nd UFC appearance against Brunson (16-4 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the pay-per-view co-headliner at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Although “The Spider” hasn’t had much luck in the win column in recent years after starting his career at a historic rate, his resume still rivals any of the best fighters on the roster. Check below for a closer look at Silva’s stat sheet ahead of UFC 208.
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Silva, 41, is the oldest active fighter in the UFC middleweight division.
Silva enters the event on a five-fight winless skid, the longest drought of his career. He hasn’t earned a victory since October 2012.
Silva competes in his 18th UFC middleweight bout, tied for the fourth most appearances in divisional history behind Michael Bisping (22), Chris Leben (22) and Nate Marquardt (21).
Silva holds the UFC record for most consecutive victories with 16.
Silva’s 13 victories in UFC middleweight competition are tied with Marquardt and Yushin Okami for second most in divisional history behind Bisping (16).
Silva’s 14 stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Vitor Belfort for most in history.
Silva’s 11 knockout victories in UFC competition are tied with Anthony Johnson for second most in history behind Belfort (12).
Silva’s 13 fight-night bonuses for UFC bouts are tied with Donald Cerrone for third most in history behind Nate Diaz (15) and Joe Lauzon (15).
Silva’s 19 UFC main event appearances at most in company history.
Silva’s 2,457-day middleweight title reign between Oct. 14, 2006 and June 6, 2013 stands as the longest championship run in UFC history.
Silva holds the UFC record for most consecutive title defenses with 10.
Silva’s 13 appearances in UFC championship fights are third most in history behind Randy Couture (15) and Georges St-Pierre (14).
Silva’s 11 victories in UFC championship fights are the second most in history behind St-Pierre (12).
Silva’s 18 knockdowns landed in UFC competition are the most in history.
Silva’s seven knockdowns landed from the clinch position in UFC competition are the most in history.
Silva is one of three fighters in UFC history with three knockdowns landed against a single opponent in two separate bouts. Conor McGregor and John Lineker also accomplished the feat.
Silva lands 61.8 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC middleweight competition, the highest rate in divisional history.
Silva has earned his 16 UFC victories by 12 different methods.
And for more on UFC 208, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.
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