DAMN! They Were Good: Wanderlei Silva, the most intimidating fighter in MMA history

02/11/2023 17:00

DAMN! They Were Good celebrates the careers of the most exciting and influential fighters in MMA history, and on this episode, it celebrates the career of Wanderlei Silva, the most intimidating fighter ever to compete in MMA.

Twenty-two years ago on Friday, Wanderlei Silva made history, becoming the inaugural PRIDE middleweight champion after beating Kazushi Sakuraba for the second time at PRIDE 17. The win cemented "The Axe Murderer" as not just one of the best fighters in the world, but one of the scariest, and for the next four years, the MMA world saw him do nothing but reinforce that image.

Whether he was annihilating cans or kneeing Quinton "Rampage" Jackson through the ropes, for half a decade, Wanderlei was appointment viewing, and his willingness to test himself against anyone, including heavyweights like Mirko Cro Cop and Mark Hunt, solidified him as an all-time fan favorite.

What were the most iconic performances, what were our favorite memories, and what did we miss out on over Silva's 23-year run? Listen in as the MMA Fighting crews remembers the career of the original King of Violence.

New episodes of the DAMN! They Were Good podcast come out biweekly and are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, or wherever else you find your favorite podcasts. This week's episode can be heard below.