Report – Anderson Silva Leaves The UFC
Former UFC middleweight champion, Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva has this evening, reportedly come to an agreement with the promotion to leave after a fourteen-year stint with the North American based organization.
Silva, who had previously noted his intentions to first hang up his gloves, and then step away from the Octagon after his recent UFC Vegas 12 headliner with TUF finalist, Uriah ‘Prime Time’ Hall, is recognised as one of the most dominant champions in the promotion’s history, laying waste to opposition on cue during his almost untouchable reign as middleweight kingpin.
The 45-year-old Sao Paulo born striker took main event status against Hall at the Halloween Fight Night event, and despite a good start, dropped a third-round knockout loss to the resurgent Spanish Town native.
According to a report from MMA Fighting reporter, Guilherme Cruz this evening, the promotion and Silva, who still had one fight left on his UFC deal agreed to part ways, with the Brazilian now free to test free-agency.
While Silva has yet to commit on a decision which would see him hang up his gloves with immediate effect or if he’ll continue his stellar career elsewhere, his entry to free-agency allows him to float offers from interested promotions. Scott Coker, the leader of Bellator MMA, however, has recently detailed how it’s unlikely they’d be interested in signing Silva.
The veteran counter striker, who linked up with the Dana White led promotion back in June of 2006, had amassed a 17-7-(1) promotional record in his fourteen-year run with the UFC. A dominant 185-pound force, Silva had scored a staggering ten consecutive successful title defences during his initial sixteen-fight unbeaten run in the promotion.
With an incredible twenty-three knockout wins and a further three submission stoppages, Silva has bested the likes of Rich Franklin (x2), Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, Demian Maia, Chael Sonnen (x2), Vitor Belfort, Yushin Okami, Stephen Bonnar, and Derek Brunson to name a few.
