March 4, 2025 • 40 mins
On the newest episode of THE ART OF WARD, Andre Ward is joined by one of the greatest fighters in history, Anderson Silva. The Spider takes us through his incredible MMA journey, sharing the story of how he went from missing a soccer tryout to going on one of the most legendary runs in UFC history. Silva opens up about his relentless drive to be great, his deep love for fighting, and what has kept him motivated throughout his career. He also talks about his transition into boxing after leaving the UFC, his ongoing desire to keep fighting as he gets older, and the story behind his iconic nickname. Plus, Anderson reflects on how he coped with loss as his UFC career came to a close.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of the Art of War Today.
I'm excited about our guest. He is a legend in
his respective sport.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
He's an all time great.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
He's a man who holds the UFC wrecord for being
the middleweight champion for a historic two thousand and four
hundred and fifty seven days. That rain was from two
thousand and six to twenty and thirteen.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
He's a Hall of Famer and he's.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.
I want to welcome to the show Anderson Spider, Silver Brother.
It's good to be in your presence. Man, it's good
to have you on the show. I told you when
you came in here. You know, you got the glasses
on and you're very soft spoken and you're speaking to
everybody Hello, Hello, Hello. But May Andrews is silver bro.
(00:46):
It's like, it's like twenty ways you could take me out?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Have you always? Have you always been like.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
This, just very soft spoken, and I mean, you know,
life is just so amazing, and I think the war
is so crazy.
Speaker 5 (01:02):
And when you have a time to puss something good
for the human beings, for the others, do your best.
You know, that's I try to make my life better
and the people stay with me every day.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
But you care howat people?
Speaker 5 (01:22):
Yeah, you know, because the wars is so crazy, and
I think the martial arts give me that respect the
others and enjoy the life.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
That's why it's important to not judge a book by
its cover. To make sure you treat everybody nice because
if they if they misread, misread, you can get bad
very very quickly. I don't have a lot of time
with you today, so I want to I want to
kind of jump straight in. Take me back to your
early days in Brazil where you first started jiu jitsu,
but it wasn't formally. It was informally with kids in
(01:55):
the neighborhood because you couldn't afford to do formal lesser technique.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
It's starting to a program in school in a caputa.
My stepdad and my step mom put him in a
caputa and I start student capua in school.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
My brother invited me to.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
To start training with THI I start my career in
uh capua and training with Thai and taekwondo, and one
day I just look looking at hoys Gracie fighting in Mma.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I say oh my god.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
One day I go fight this sport and uh, everything's happened,
you know.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
And uh, I'm doing a tryout.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
For play uh uh soccer and there's no work. And
that's very interesting because the same place have the tryout.
I come little late because I take the bus and
the bus is is put them late there and at
the same place as a team, uh, the boxing teams there.
(02:57):
And then the coach just asked me, so your training
is Yeah, I train it.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
But I never training boxing my life.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
And the coach say, okay, so here's your loves and
your stuffs.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Come on, let's go training boxing boxing.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah, and I call my dad. They said, Dad, I
go training boxing. And my dad said, wait, wait a minute.
You don't go there to doing the tryout for the
play soccer. Yeah, but something happened here. Something happen and
I start training boxing and I doing my first, my
first boxing.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I'm a terry boxing there, oh seventeen.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
But at this point that's that's like already three or
four disciplines that you're already working on.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, I mean I like to learn, and I like
to learn it.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
I training with the Inosanto Filipino boxing and uh, guru
WILLI and I like to learn the different disciplines because
it's not about fighting, it's about you learn something for
you come better person, you know. And that's how I
like to learn the different disciplines and putting my game
(04:09):
to make my life better.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
So then you started mixed martial arts in Brazil and
then you end up in Japan and at this point,
you know you you beat I'm gonna try to get
his name right.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You were in the shoot you fought the shootout.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, first my first title belt.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yes, yeah, so you beat him.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
This guy was undefeated with twenty fights at this point,
and you start to feel like, man, this mixed martial
arts thing, like this is this is what I want
to do.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
This is this is what I want to do.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
Yes, it's crazy because I'm in there in Japan and
this is the first time I realized I have a
responsibility to.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
My country. And when I see the flag in a
Japan flag in.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
A oh my god, it's it's real and uh yeah,
I win the fight and that this is the first
time I realizing my life.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I just fight for my country and working hard to
pass the whole technique I have for the rest of
the ward, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
And now from like two thousand and two to about
two thousand and six, you're fighting in Pride, yes, right,
You're fighting different places in the in the world and
different places in the country, and then Pride eventually cuts.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
You at a certain point after you lose.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Yeah, you know in the time and the Pride, they
have a lot of political stuff, you know, with my
old team and between me and the team and I
come out. The team and the team have a good
relationship with the promoters the Pride and I come out,
and you know, would help me to come back to fight,
(05:54):
you know, and you know Thauto is my black belt
master in jiujitsu, and help me to.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Come back to fight.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
In Korea, I fight in a different organizations and I
fight in a for a long time in England in
uh you've invited me to to come to fight, and
that's my resume about my story.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
But before they invited you, when did that, like UFC
become like a goal for you?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
We said I want to fight there.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
No, I'm fighting in the English in u A. I
fight in you way two times and I and I
start fighting English UFC start two come big in the moment,
but Pride is so big in the moment at that
time was bigger.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Much big.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
And I remember, I'm a is my is my last
fight in in cage rage in in London. The guys
call me, Hey, you see like you signed to fight there?
What do you think I mean? I'm happy here. I
just half of my last fight, OHC, and I win
(07:06):
the last fight in a couple of days.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
The guys call me and I start fighting. You'll see.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
UFC came around in twenty two thousand and six. Yes,
you signed a multi fight contract with them. I think
I know the answer to this, but I'm gonna ask
you anyway. They don't give signing bonuses, right the UFC.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
They don't give a signing bonus, right man.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It's tough because you see, is a huge brand.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
I have a good relationship with the guys, and the
moment I fight in uf see.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I'm happy.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
There a couple of fights with Dana, but I have
a good relationship with the guys. The problem is that
people talking about UFC because when you sign, you need
you understand the game. You have a good lawyers, you
have everything behind you for protect you. It's okay, but
that's the problem. Sometimes you don't have that, you don't
(08:04):
have good people for protect you, and you sign bad contract.
That's the problem that people talking about UFC. But I
don't have nothing bad to talking.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
About, you see, so you say, just make sure the
paperwork is right, yes, and then the UFC is a
good situation.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
It's about business, you know. For us it's different because no,
I'm a fighter. I go there, I go do my best,
and but you need to understand, you it's a business too.
You're the business man. Doesn't matter you fight it or not.
You need to understand that because when this finish, it's
(08:44):
only about you, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And you got to have your money, You got to
have your stuff in place. That's the fighters don't understand.
I think it's just I think a lot of fighters are.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Getting it more.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
You see a lot more fighters putting the business cap
on and then they take the hat off, the business off,
and then they go to fight, which I love to see.
But sometimes fighters don't understand just because the promoter, hey,
how are you, and they give you steak dinners and
they you know you travel and they say, man, you're
my guy. All of that is cool, but when we
(09:15):
speak about the business the money.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
We got to make sure that's right.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Yeah, exactly, because it's it's okay. The promoters don't care.
You know, it's a business. It's about numbers.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
It's a business. Yes, it's a business.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
You. I think the fighters, the athletes, they need you
want to stand that make a good team and doing
your best. Okay, train me hard, but want to stand
the business to you because this is important for your future.
Because when you finish fight, you have a business and
you need you want to stand that. That's more important.
(09:55):
That's I talk to my kids every day.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
You get into the UFC in two thousand and SI,
they don't waste any time. That same year you're thrust
into a title shot, the middleway title against Rich Franklin
the same year you signed with them.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
How did that feel walking.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
To that octagon and then getting in that octagon and
then just realizing that man, I am fighting for the
champion UFC championship from the whole world.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
You know.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
I I think that the Japan, in Brazil, the fights
I have in my entire life helped me to the
moment I take uh the opportunity to fight with the
Hitt Franklin, and Uh I'm training so hard. I remember,
I training so hard when I when they come to
(10:42):
to start fight MMA, and it's a great moment for
me and from my team in the in the time,
you know, and uh, I believe in the that fight
changed completely the game you know inside you.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
See really how so?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, because.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
Everybody talking about Rich Franklin in the moment, and I'm
just the guy, you know, and who's this guy?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Oh, he's a new guy.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
And but I fight a lot with the different.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Big names in the sport, you know, Carlos Newton and
Hayatu Sakurai and the different guys and the different groups.
And I when I come and tie the ring with
Rich Franklin, I say, you know, I'm prepared for everything.
Didn't matter happen. I'm prepared for that, and I'm so
(11:47):
happy in the moment. I remember that I just you know,
I just I go win. I don't care, I go win.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
You win this championship, and this sets off a historic
run for you personally and in the UFC from two
thousand and six that from that moment to twenty thirteen,
sixteen consecutive wins, almost twenty five hundred days.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
You're champion. How did you do that.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
First of all is love.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
You don't love your job, don't do it. You don't
love the sport, don't do it. That's the secret in
my life everything I I work. I work because I
believe in and I love you know, and I love fighting,
and I train every day and you.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Love to turn it loves to turn and love.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
That's the part that people don't like it.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
The training, you know, the prepare and that's I love
so much because every single time when I go to
the com training to prepare to the fight, I learned something.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
You want.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
I have different people to help me to come better,
better person and better fight.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
But how do you I love talking to individuals and
sports or just in the world that are excellent at
what they do.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
They got a spirit of excellence, a bond.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
They're consistent and steady year in and year out, day
in and day out. How did you maintain the love
for the training, the fire when you're on top of
the world and you're dominating the UFC for so long.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
That's the secret. So you need to stay with the
good people behind you to protect the other things. You
keep your mind in one thing. Just do your best,
but don't try to prove nothing for everybody. Just try
to make something for yourself and create something for help
(13:52):
the others. And I believe in the fight is one
legal point About the other things, the big things.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I remember.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
A lot of people come talk to me and say,
oh man, you change my life because you prove I
can't do everything in my life.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
And that's the big things.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
That's the big responsible for when you come famous, and
the different sports doesn't matter of fight, Oh this in
different disciplines.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
In different sports. When you come famous, that's you're.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Responsibility to help the others to come better.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
And that's why I'm working hard my entailf.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
But you got people pulling on you now. Everybody's inviting
you everywhere. The money's going up. You got family members
you didn't know you had, they calling you Anderson Anderson,
remember me, I changed your diapers when you were a baby.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
How you dealing with all of that?
Speaker 5 (14:48):
You need you need one to stand the game in
good family and good team to protect you. I have
this problem with my my entire career, and but I
have a good team to help me, you know. And
that's the that's the good part. When you when you
(15:09):
close with the good people and you stay close with
your family. You protect yourself.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
So you're saying, not a lot of new friends, not
a lot of new faces.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
You know, I'm in the time.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
I have a lot of problem with the people because
I put on friends to work.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I help a lot of friends.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
I will say, oh, you go work with me. But
I give the chance for the people come with me
and grow up with me. But the people don't take
the opportunity. And I say, all right, it's fine, but
it's not my fault. It's not my problem. I give
the chance for you grow up with me, but you
don't accept that. You don't take that with your heart.
(15:56):
It's not It's not my problem. And I do my
best for I sleep every night very happy because I
know I do my best for everybody work with me.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
And even though you're dominating at this time, you still
got some criticism, and a lot of times the criticism
came from Dana White.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
He wanted you to engage more.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
He was quoted as saying that that performance was the
most embarrassing thing I've ever seen in UFC. How are you,
as a champion at the level that you're at dealing
with criticism from Dana White, who's at the top of
this company.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
You're fighting.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Boy, Well that's the problem.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
When you win so much, you know you want more
and more and more and more and more. But that's
like talk with my kids and my students too. When
it's start to win, you need you want to stand
the business because in the beginning you don't care about
(16:57):
loss because you need to prove you're you're valuing that.
But when you start win, you start understand your business
and you start take care more of the business. And
that's why I fight more intelligent and I say, I.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Don't need to put in my life in danger.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
Or exuppose me a lot. No, I go fight for win.
That's my game. But the problem is the promoters don't
understand that. The promoters like to sell the fight. Yes,
you know, but that's my that's my business. I need
to keep my business there. You know, doesn't matter happen
(17:45):
what you're talking about. What is Dana talk? It's you
sell the fight, but you will never fight.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I'm in.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
I'm inside the ring. That's my word. That's the word.
You never come and what are you talking about? You
can I can't talk to you about business, but I
can't talk to you about fight, about blood, about knockout,
about leaping the cage. I know that that's my ward.
Don't try to talk to me about my word.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Don't mess with my word.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
No, that's my word. That's my word. And you never
come inside here.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
You know, I don't think you can be.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Successful as long as you were just fighting the same
way all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Come here. Either you get me or I get you.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
You have to switch it up exactly.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Some fighters you some fighters you can't. I can't come
at you. I have to box you, and it may
be a born night, but that's the only way I
can beat you tonight, and then I'll give you a
good performance next time.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It's like that.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Because you start to win and win, win, and that
the guys fight with you don't care because it lose
lose for the best guy in the time.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
But I'm win.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
I'm win the best guy in the in the fight.
But when you're there, you want to stand the game.
Why an't go exuppose me to lose the fight.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
No, I go do my best.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
I go boxing. I go to hold the fight here
and I'm winning. My business is good all, but the
promote all. I don't like that because the fight is
born and the people say, oh.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
This is okay. I'm sorry, guys, but that's the business.
You know, that's my job.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Yes, and I hope I entertain you in the processes.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Some nights I might not, but I still got to win.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Yeah, because that's the game. That's the business. That's the
people don't understand. And uh, sometimes the guy come, the
promote coming. Okay, I give three hundred thousand dollars for
who win the fight in the big battle, and oh, okay,
(20:00):
that's good. But the fighters don't understand. The fighters don't
want to stand the business. That's the problem. And okay,
So when you see in general, how many fighters have
a good life inside the game, how many fighters when
(20:26):
to stand the business, and how many managers and promoters
when you stand behind the fighters have a human being, families, everything.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, not very many.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
No, No, And it just is what it is, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
I don't want to say it's okay, but it's the
business we get in, whether it's mm A or boxing.
To your point, though, you just have to know what
you're getting into. I don't take it personal, no, definitely not,
but you gotta know what I'm getting into. It's a business.
I'm a commodity to you. I make your money and
that's just the extent. We may be really cool and close,
(21:08):
but yeah, it's business.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
It's a business because when everything's done, it's only you
and your family and how you want to stand the
business for leave the rest of your life, you know.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And I'm I'm I'm.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Sometimes I feel sad because I saw a lot of
friends past for the very difficult situation because don't want
to stand the game, you know, and it's tough.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
What did you get the nickname Spider Wow?
Speaker 5 (21:46):
You know that's so interesting because I'm big fan for
Spider Man. I grew up with my stepdad and my
step mom in a Peter Parker.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Is the same, you know.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
And I remember when I young, I just talk to
my mom. I step my mom, I need you need
buying the suit for Spider Man. And my mom okay,
just stop talking about that because in the time, my
mom don't have a lot of money, and uh, one
day I'm gonna come home and my mom give them
(22:17):
the suit the Spider Man too, you know. And I
putn't and I put in and I've asked, and I
put on my uniform for go to school and I.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Remember in the class.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Yeah, and I'm in the class. I just want to
the break. I just take my own in format and
using the Spider Man suit and with my friends in
a the three times I think the coach called my
mom and say, listen, you need to come to school
because Anderson, really thank is a Spider Man is I
(22:52):
think it's danger for him because he's doing a lot
of crazy things. And uh, my mom put in to
psychologists to see I'm crazy. Yeah, in the psycho say no, no, no,
he's okay.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
It's a kid.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Just he just loves Spider Man.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
Yeah, and that's a uh that's my first contact with
Spider Man. And I just in my mind I'm a
Spider Man. But one time I'm in Pride and I
have the shirt, the Spider Man shirt, and the lady
(23:29):
uh present Pride, just looking in and say, oh, you
look like Spider Man. I say, okay, he's joking, he's joking.
And the time you don't have a black Spider Man,
but it's okay. I think it's bullying. But it's in
the night when you start to present the fighters and
(23:50):
just the lady say, oh the from Brazil.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
The spider anders and that.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Yeah, it was a good knight, good night you thought
like that. Yeah, here they're everywhere.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
So like most things, every good thing, at some point
has to come to an end. And in twenty thirteen,
you found trouble with a fighter named Chris Widman, Yeah,
who you were a heavy favorite to beat, but you
ended up losing that fight.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
How did you lose to him?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I think I read somewhere where you said you didn't
take him serious.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
No, I take serious, but I think in the moment,
I'm doing a lot of uh, bad movements, the technique movements,
and I put them my legs together, and I do
a lot of bad things in the moment. In the
(24:39):
second fight, I prepare more, but I broke my leg.
But that's the game, you know, that's the people want.
I need to understand because when you're go inside, you
never know what happened to you. You don't know, and
that's you need to understand the business, you know. And uh,
when I broke my leg, then in the second fight,
(24:59):
they say, oh.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
My god, maybe now I can't fight anymore.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
And I passed the bad the bad things in my life.
And one year I remember one year I'm very bad situation,
you know, and you an't you talking about friends and
the people?
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Everybody laugh?
Speaker 5 (25:21):
It's only my family and the trio four friends stay
with me.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
How do you deal? How does Anderson Silver deal with loss?
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Your guy who won for so long when you finally
lost and things started to kind of unravel, how are
you dealing and processing with that?
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Well, you know, in a in a high level of sport,
you know, it's tough to lose. Nobody likes to lose.
But I realize in the moment.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
The one thing.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
So how I can use in the whole uh philosophy
about martial arts to help me to come back, because
this doesn't matter happen. It's not about lose. It's about
one standing what happened to lose to lose and.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Take that.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
And try to understand the whole thing. And that's how
I put in my life, and that's martial arts help me.
Because I just come down and talk to my old masters,
and I talked to him. I remember my FO my
first fight with Chris uh, Chris Weidman. I talked to
(26:45):
my master and I talked to him and say what
do you think master? And my master say it's a
very old now and say listen, when you come here
a kid, I years old, I just train you to
come a better person, not for fight, but using everything
(27:08):
for fight. And with the fight, it's a different game.
I can't help you because that's not my game. When
you come here and then the old students come here,
I help that you and the students to come a
better person. And the moment I realize it's not about fighting.
(27:35):
Fighting is good because I need to fight because it's business.
This helped me to take care of my family, but
what is more important for me? And when I broke
my leg and back home and seeing my whole family
look me when I come out of the car and say,
no Ah, I need one to stand the game more
(27:59):
the other people because my family looked me right now,
you know. And in the moment, I feel so sad
because everybody just looked me, and I feel that it's
time to stop. I feel that and everybody, you know,
doesn't matter happen. I feel my family loved me, and
(28:24):
the moment, I just you know, now it's time to
take care of my family and.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Understand the whole thing about my life and the fight.
When I broke my leg helped me to learn a
lot of things I never think about.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
But you didn't stop.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
The fire is still there, yes, and you ended up
signing a new contract with the UFS at fifteen fight
contract with the UFC. So you're feeling that people are
calling for your retirement. There's headlines out there, writers and saying, oh,
he's old, he's this, he's that. But you end up
signing a fifteen fight deal in twenty fourteen. Why so
many fights.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Because of born fight? You know, I say, okay, let's
do it. You know, Okay, this is a good challenge.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
But now.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
I go fight in a different situation. I go fight
for make a story in the sport, to make something
for people.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
One stand.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
You can do everything in your life. This doesn't matter,
happen to you. And that's how I continue fight and
I win couple and I lose a couple of fights.
But in generation, in the general, I I know, I
help my generation to want to stand the game. And
(29:53):
that's how I signed the last contract with UFC, you know.
And a my last fight, when I fight, I lose,
and it is so interesting because then I say, oh,
I'm doing something bad, and Underson needs stop because it's old.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I understand, it's a business and.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
I I don't think but a lot of people think, oh,
it's a forty forty in the time, I think it's
forty or thirty nine, thirty seven, I don't know. But
for MMA, the people think it's too old.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
It's too I mean, I don't I don't believe that.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
But in the moment, everybody say, oh, I Underson needs stop,
and you know, I'd say no, it's nobody in this
age you need take a fight, and nobody have to
do in a contract with the man have this age
for a fight. And I say, okay, you know it's
not about him, It's about me. And uh.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
I come back home and I go to visit my
parents in Brazil.
Speaker 5 (31:05):
And in one month the people call me and say, oh,
how your contract with WEFC. I say, no, I'm free.
I'm not having more contract with UFC. And okay, so
my manager it Talis, call me and say, oh, you
have a fight for you in Mexico. Say oh really
(31:29):
when uh? And six months okay, who who Loo? Says
a Shovis Jr? What do you think?
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Say MMA?
Speaker 2 (31:40):
No boxing?
Speaker 5 (31:41):
And they say, okay, nice, I love this challenge, and
I call my coach and say, oh, and it's interesting
because everybody just called me when the news start say
you crazy, the guys go key you and do that,
and that you're too old, and say, yeah, I'm old.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
But it's not about old.
Speaker 5 (32:01):
It's about passion, love, And I train it hard and
I go to Magical and I fight with Javis and
when I win, a lot of people oh man, you say, yeah,
I know.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
I know.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Yeah, I saw that fight. I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Yeah, I mean, I knew you were a good boxer,
but he's been boxing much longer than you.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
Yeah, but it's about passion. It's about love. When you
love something.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
When you love, your job doesn't matter how.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
How is your job is a fighting business or different business.
So when you love and when you have a passion,
you don't care. You go do your best. And that's
you make successful because you don't think about money, You
don't think about prove nothing for anybody. You try to
enjoy the moment, the construction to build something for the
(33:03):
news generation.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
You know. That's that's how I tried to do my best. Everything.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I think it's interesting because so you you know, you
have one mindset to get the championship and then dominate
for as long as you did. And then when you
saw that, okay, I may not be able to dominate
like that anymore, you said you wouldn't talk to your master.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
And then you shifted your mindset.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Well, now it's just about passion, it's about let You
had to shift your mindset because you weren't winning.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
The way you were.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Yeah, so you had you had to shift your mindset
in order to accept that but still enjoy what you
were doing.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Am I getting erectly?
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Because you don't enjoy, you don't love. You need stop.
That's how talk to my kids, my sons.
Speaker 5 (33:44):
Just come talk to me that I like to fight boxing,
and I go training for fight boxing and say, okay,
so you need you question yourself, look in the mirror
and question for yourself.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
You love this?
Speaker 5 (34:01):
Oh you're doing this for proof, something for somebody, and
that's the point you love is Okay, you don't love,
don't do it?
Speaker 3 (34:11):
You know?
Speaker 5 (34:11):
And that's how I I agree is more important in
your life. You don't love, don't do it because you
come frustrate you lost the time, and lose the time
the people trusting you and believe in you. And that's
(34:33):
that's my point about fighting and the other.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Things too in a different business.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Why did you never fight Roy Jones?
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Jones?
Speaker 5 (34:45):
You know, it's my dream for many many years to
fight Roy, because I followed Roy my entire life and
uh my first I remember the first time I watching
is uh Roy and the Olympic Games and the guys
just stolen the metals round, you know, and I say,
(35:07):
oh my god, this man is a is a He's
a piece in the boxing.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
In the moment, I just I remember.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
I have the the DVD the whole Uh fight for
Ry Jones, and I just watching, and I remember every
single fight I have in the m M A.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
I just put in the.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
DVD the Ry Jones and the watching the whole night
and say, oh.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Maybe I go do this tomorrow. I go this And
I'm a big fan.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
And I in the time when I broke my leg,
I remember I talked to Dana White and Lorenzo say
why don't make this fight me and Ry Jones and
the guys, Oh because this and then that, I say, listen,
that's the that's something you can't change everything. And the guys, Oh,
(36:08):
but it's different sport. What do you think do you lose?
You lose them lose because it's a different sport.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Did you look at Connor and Floyd and see what
they did? I mean, and Danna.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Said that would never happen, and it ended up happening. Yeah,
who's the greatest MMA fighter that you've ever faced?
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Faced a lot of great names. You beat a lot
of great names.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
But I think the great one different guys, but.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
The one that sticks out that say man skillfully.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
He challenged me the most. He was the one of
the hardest.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
I think.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Because it's my first title belt, and I'm so scared
because when I'm in Japan, the guys put him in
the in the in the room. It's only TV in
the room, in the two and the two, and I
put on a lot of highlights for yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Is dark in the highlights?
Speaker 5 (37:09):
For yes, a lot of people and I just wow, great,
you know it is doing this a lot?
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Is in your locker room? Yeah, in the locker room
the room, Yes, the room and the two tables and TV.
It's a lot of dark. It's very dark.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
And I said, wow, that's but it's good because I
watch him and I see a lot of things. And
in the moment, I think, win five Brazilian guys and
I say, oh my God, in trouble. But I think
the Atocrat is my first in a big, big, big
(37:50):
challenge and is the the very big name I fight
in the moment. Of course I fight with the Henderson
and Carlis Newton in a different legend. But I think
because it's my first title belt, is is a very
it's very it's special for me.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Is the fight that you've never got, that you were
supposed to get, that you wish you got, that the
UFC never.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Saw in USC. I take me and George and you know.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
Are you done fighting?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
No?
Speaker 5 (38:27):
No, come on no never no never, no, God give
me everything.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
And uh I train you every day. Of course you
still train every day? Yeah, I train every day.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
What discipline?
Speaker 5 (38:40):
I training physical training every day two days a week.
I trained U and the has today. I training boxing
one day and week training.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
You get a phone call, I'm ready, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
So you don't believe in retirement, No, I don't believe.
Speaker 5 (39:01):
Of course I have the different business I work and
my producing about movies.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
I have my my schools.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
College, I have the Killer Bees with my partners, I
have a spider teeth brain, I have a lot of things,
but my passion, my love is fight, and that's I
keep ready. You know, it's crazy because that's I talk
to my friends. They say, you know, you know what
the Special Force and the Army, that's the same. I'm ready,
(39:37):
you know, I just need one thing, just where my
opponent and the wait.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
That's the point, you know. I train every day to this.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
So you still got your phone on just in case?
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Man, brother, listen, we could talk all day. We're gonna,
we're gonna, we're gonna do a part two of this.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Yes, we have more time.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
I want to dig into the detail of your career
and just talk more about those things. But man, I
appreciate the time you gave us uh honor to be.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Talking to you.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Man, a legend in the sport, a man who has
been about excellence for so many years. And I appreciate
also how you carry yourself too, because you don't carry
yourself like a fighter. You carry yourself like a normal person.
But we know, we know
Speaker 3 (40:23):
Thank you, thank you so much.
Welcome back to another episode of the Art of War Today.
I'm excited about our guest. He is a legend in
his respective sport.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
He's an all time great.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
He's a man who holds the UFC wrecord for being
the middleweight champion for a historic two thousand and four
hundred and fifty seven days. That rain was from two
thousand and six to twenty and thirteen.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
He's a Hall of Famer and he's.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
Arguably one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time.
I want to welcome to the show Anderson Spider, Silver Brother.
It's good to be in your presence. Man, it's good
to have you on the show. I told you when
you came in here. You know, you got the glasses
on and you're very soft spoken and you're speaking to
everybody Hello, Hello, Hello. But May Andrews is silver bro.
(00:46):
It's like, it's like twenty ways you could take me out?
Speaker 3 (00:49):
Have you always? Have you always been like.
Speaker 4 (00:51):
This, just very soft spoken, and I mean, you know,
life is just so amazing, and I think the war
is so crazy.
Speaker 5 (01:02):
And when you have a time to puss something good
for the human beings, for the others, do your best.
You know, that's I try to make my life better
and the people stay with me every day.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
But you care howat people?
Speaker 5 (01:22):
Yeah, you know, because the wars is so crazy, and
I think the martial arts give me that respect the
others and enjoy the life.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
You know.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
That's why it's important to not judge a book by
its cover. To make sure you treat everybody nice because
if they if they misread, misread, you can get bad
very very quickly. I don't have a lot of time
with you today, so I want to I want to
kind of jump straight in. Take me back to your
early days in Brazil where you first started jiu jitsu,
but it wasn't formally. It was informally with kids in
(01:55):
the neighborhood because you couldn't afford to do formal lesser technique.
Speaker 3 (01:57):
Yeah, you know.
Speaker 5 (01:58):
It's starting to a program in school in a caputa.
My stepdad and my step mom put him in a
caputa and I start student capua in school.
Speaker 3 (02:10):
My brother invited me to.
Speaker 5 (02:11):
To start training with THI I start my career in
uh capua and training with Thai and taekwondo, and one
day I just look looking at hoys Gracie fighting in Mma.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
I say oh my god.
Speaker 5 (02:27):
One day I go fight this sport and uh, everything's happened,
you know.
Speaker 3 (02:32):
And uh, I'm doing a tryout.
Speaker 5 (02:34):
For play uh uh soccer and there's no work. And
that's very interesting because the same place have the tryout.
I come little late because I take the bus and
the bus is is put them late there and at
the same place as a team, uh, the boxing teams there.
(02:57):
And then the coach just asked me, so your training
is Yeah, I train it.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
But I never training boxing my life.
Speaker 5 (03:03):
And the coach say, okay, so here's your loves and
your stuffs.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
Come on, let's go training boxing boxing.
Speaker 5 (03:12):
Yeah, and I call my dad. They said, Dad, I
go training boxing. And my dad said, wait, wait a minute.
You don't go there to doing the tryout for the
play soccer. Yeah, but something happened here. Something happen and
I start training boxing and I doing my first, my
first boxing.
Speaker 3 (03:34):
I'm a terry boxing there, oh seventeen.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
But at this point that's that's like already three or
four disciplines that you're already working on.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yeah, I mean I like to learn, and I like
to learn it.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
I training with the Inosanto Filipino boxing and uh, guru
WILLI and I like to learn the different disciplines because
it's not about fighting, it's about you learn something for
you come better person, you know. And that's how I
like to learn the different disciplines and putting my game
(04:09):
to make my life better.
Speaker 1 (04:11):
So then you started mixed martial arts in Brazil and
then you end up in Japan and at this point,
you know you you beat I'm gonna try to get
his name right.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
You were in the shoot you fought the shootout.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, first my first title belt.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Yes, yeah, so you beat him.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
This guy was undefeated with twenty fights at this point,
and you start to feel like, man, this mixed martial
arts thing, like this is this is what I want
to do.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
This is this is what I want to do.
Speaker 5 (04:36):
Yes, it's crazy because I'm in there in Japan and
this is the first time I realized I have a
responsibility to.
Speaker 3 (04:49):
My country. And when I see the flag in a
Japan flag in.
Speaker 5 (04:54):
A oh my god, it's it's real and uh yeah,
I win the fight and that this is the first
time I realizing my life.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I just fight for my country and working hard to
pass the whole technique I have for the rest of
the ward, you know.
Speaker 1 (05:16):
And now from like two thousand and two to about
two thousand and six, you're fighting in Pride, yes, right,
You're fighting different places in the in the world and
different places in the country, and then Pride eventually cuts.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
You at a certain point after you lose.
Speaker 5 (05:32):
Yeah, you know in the time and the Pride, they
have a lot of political stuff, you know, with my
old team and between me and the team and I
come out. The team and the team have a good
relationship with the promoters the Pride and I come out,
and you know, would help me to come back to fight,
(05:54):
you know, and you know Thauto is my black belt
master in jiujitsu, and help me to.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Come back to fight.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
In Korea, I fight in a different organizations and I
fight in a for a long time in England in
uh you've invited me to to come to fight, and
that's my resume about my story.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
But before they invited you, when did that, like UFC
become like a goal for you?
Speaker 2 (06:21):
We said I want to fight there.
Speaker 5 (06:22):
No, I'm fighting in the English in u A. I
fight in you way two times and I and I
start fighting English UFC start two come big in the moment,
but Pride is so big in the moment at that
time was bigger.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Much big.
Speaker 5 (06:45):
And I remember, I'm a is my is my last
fight in in cage rage in in London. The guys
call me, Hey, you see like you signed to fight there?
What do you think I mean? I'm happy here. I
just half of my last fight, OHC, and I win
(07:06):
the last fight in a couple of days.
Speaker 3 (07:11):
The guys call me and I start fighting. You'll see.
Speaker 1 (07:13):
UFC came around in twenty two thousand and six. Yes,
you signed a multi fight contract with them. I think
I know the answer to this, but I'm gonna ask
you anyway. They don't give signing bonuses, right the UFC.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
They don't give a signing bonus, right man.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
It's tough because you see, is a huge brand.
Speaker 5 (07:33):
I have a good relationship with the guys, and the
moment I fight in uf see.
Speaker 3 (07:40):
I'm happy.
Speaker 5 (07:42):
There a couple of fights with Dana, but I have
a good relationship with the guys. The problem is that
people talking about UFC because when you sign, you need
you understand the game. You have a good lawyers, you
have everything behind you for protect you. It's okay, but
that's the problem. Sometimes you don't have that, you don't
(08:04):
have good people for protect you, and you sign bad contract.
That's the problem that people talking about UFC. But I
don't have nothing bad to talking.
Speaker 1 (08:13):
About, you see, so you say, just make sure the
paperwork is right, yes, and then the UFC is a
good situation.
Speaker 5 (08:21):
It's about business, you know. For us it's different because no,
I'm a fighter. I go there, I go do my best,
and but you need to understand, you it's a business too.
You're the business man. Doesn't matter you fight it or not.
You need to understand that because when this finish, it's
(08:44):
only about you, you know.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
And you got to have your money, You got to
have your stuff in place. That's the fighters don't understand.
I think it's just I think a lot of fighters are.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
Getting it more.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
Now.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
You see a lot more fighters putting the business cap
on and then they take the hat off, the business off,
and then they go to fight, which I love to see.
But sometimes fighters don't understand just because the promoter, hey,
how are you, and they give you steak dinners and
they you know you travel and they say, man, you're
my guy. All of that is cool, but when we
(09:15):
speak about the business the money.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
We got to make sure that's right.
Speaker 5 (09:19):
Yeah, exactly, because it's it's okay. The promoters don't care.
You know, it's a business. It's about numbers.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
It's a business. Yes, it's a business.
Speaker 5 (09:33):
You. I think the fighters, the athletes, they need you
want to stand that make a good team and doing
your best. Okay, train me hard, but want to stand
the business to you because this is important for your future.
Because when you finish fight, you have a business and
you need you want to stand that. That's more important.
(09:55):
That's I talk to my kids every day.
Speaker 1 (09:57):
You get into the UFC in two thousand and SI,
they don't waste any time. That same year you're thrust
into a title shot, the middleway title against Rich Franklin
the same year you signed with them.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
How did that feel walking.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
To that octagon and then getting in that octagon and
then just realizing that man, I am fighting for the
champion UFC championship from the whole world.
Speaker 3 (10:19):
You know.
Speaker 5 (10:19):
I I think that the Japan, in Brazil, the fights
I have in my entire life helped me to the
moment I take uh the opportunity to fight with the
Hitt Franklin, and Uh I'm training so hard. I remember,
I training so hard when I when they come to
(10:42):
to start fight MMA, and it's a great moment for
me and from my team in the in the time,
you know, and uh, I believe in the that fight
changed completely the game you know inside you.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
See really how so?
Speaker 3 (11:01):
Yeah, because.
Speaker 5 (11:04):
Everybody talking about Rich Franklin in the moment, and I'm
just the guy, you know, and who's this guy?
Speaker 2 (11:13):
Oh, he's a new guy.
Speaker 3 (11:16):
And but I fight a lot with the different.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Big names in the sport, you know, Carlos Newton and
Hayatu Sakurai and the different guys and the different groups.
And I when I come and tie the ring with
Rich Franklin, I say, you know, I'm prepared for everything.
Didn't matter happen. I'm prepared for that, and I'm so
(11:47):
happy in the moment. I remember that I just you know,
I just I go win. I don't care, I go win.
Speaker 1 (11:55):
You win this championship, and this sets off a historic
run for you personally and in the UFC from two
thousand and six that from that moment to twenty thirteen,
sixteen consecutive wins, almost twenty five hundred days.
Speaker 2 (12:14):
You're champion. How did you do that.
Speaker 3 (12:16):
First of all is love.
Speaker 5 (12:20):
You don't love your job, don't do it. You don't
love the sport, don't do it. That's the secret in
my life everything I I work. I work because I
believe in and I love you know, and I love fighting,
and I train every day and you.
Speaker 2 (12:39):
Love to turn it loves to turn and love.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
That's the part that people don't like it.
Speaker 5 (12:45):
The training, you know, the prepare and that's I love
so much because every single time when I go to
the com training to prepare to the fight, I learned something.
Speaker 3 (12:56):
You want.
Speaker 5 (12:57):
I have different people to help me to come better,
better person and better fight.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
But how do you I love talking to individuals and
sports or just in the world that are excellent at
what they do.
Speaker 2 (13:12):
They got a spirit of excellence, a bond.
Speaker 1 (13:15):
They're consistent and steady year in and year out, day
in and day out. How did you maintain the love
for the training, the fire when you're on top of
the world and you're dominating the UFC for so long.
Speaker 5 (13:28):
That's the secret. So you need to stay with the
good people behind you to protect the other things. You
keep your mind in one thing. Just do your best,
but don't try to prove nothing for everybody. Just try
to make something for yourself and create something for help
(13:52):
the others. And I believe in the fight is one
legal point About the other things, the big things.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
I remember.
Speaker 5 (14:03):
A lot of people come talk to me and say,
oh man, you change my life because you prove I
can't do everything in my life.
Speaker 3 (14:12):
And that's the big things.
Speaker 5 (14:15):
That's the big responsible for when you come famous, and
the different sports doesn't matter of fight, Oh this in
different disciplines.
Speaker 3 (14:24):
In different sports. When you come famous, that's you're.
Speaker 5 (14:27):
Responsibility to help the others to come better.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
And that's why I'm working hard my entailf.
Speaker 1 (14:33):
But you got people pulling on you now. Everybody's inviting
you everywhere. The money's going up. You got family members
you didn't know you had, they calling you Anderson Anderson,
remember me, I changed your diapers when you were a baby.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
How you dealing with all of that?
Speaker 5 (14:48):
You need you need one to stand the game in
good family and good team to protect you. I have
this problem with my my entire career, and but I
have a good team to help me, you know. And
that's the that's the good part. When you when you
(15:09):
close with the good people and you stay close with
your family. You protect yourself.
Speaker 1 (15:17):
So you're saying, not a lot of new friends, not
a lot of new faces.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
You know, I'm in the time.
Speaker 5 (15:26):
I have a lot of problem with the people because
I put on friends to work.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
I help a lot of friends.
Speaker 5 (15:31):
I will say, oh, you go work with me. But
I give the chance for the people come with me
and grow up with me. But the people don't take
the opportunity. And I say, all right, it's fine, but
it's not my fault. It's not my problem. I give
the chance for you grow up with me, but you
don't accept that. You don't take that with your heart.
(15:56):
It's not It's not my problem. And I do my
best for I sleep every night very happy because I
know I do my best for everybody work with me.
Speaker 1 (16:09):
And even though you're dominating at this time, you still
got some criticism, and a lot of times the criticism
came from Dana White.
Speaker 2 (16:18):
He wanted you to engage more.
Speaker 1 (16:20):
He was quoted as saying that that performance was the
most embarrassing thing I've ever seen in UFC. How are you,
as a champion at the level that you're at dealing
with criticism from Dana White, who's at the top of
this company.
Speaker 2 (16:31):
You're fighting.
Speaker 3 (16:32):
Boy, Well that's the problem.
Speaker 5 (16:34):
When you win so much, you know you want more
and more and more and more and more. But that's
like talk with my kids and my students too. When
it's start to win, you need you want to stand
the business because in the beginning you don't care about
(16:57):
loss because you need to prove you're you're valuing that.
But when you start win, you start understand your business
and you start take care more of the business. And
that's why I fight more intelligent and I say, I.
Speaker 3 (17:17):
Don't need to put in my life in danger.
Speaker 5 (17:20):
Or exuppose me a lot. No, I go fight for win.
That's my game. But the problem is the promoters don't
understand that. The promoters like to sell the fight. Yes,
you know, but that's my that's my business. I need
to keep my business there. You know, doesn't matter happen
(17:45):
what you're talking about. What is Dana talk? It's you
sell the fight, but you will never fight.
Speaker 2 (17:50):
I'm in.
Speaker 5 (17:52):
I'm inside the ring. That's my word. That's the word.
You never come and what are you talking about? You
can I can't talk to you about business, but I
can't talk to you about fight, about blood, about knockout,
about leaping the cage. I know that that's my ward.
Don't try to talk to me about my word.
Speaker 2 (18:14):
Don't mess with my word.
Speaker 3 (18:16):
No, that's my word. That's my word. And you never
come inside here.
Speaker 2 (18:22):
You know, I don't think you can be.
Speaker 1 (18:25):
Successful as long as you were just fighting the same
way all the time.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Come here. Either you get me or I get you.
Speaker 3 (18:33):
You have to switch it up exactly.
Speaker 1 (18:36):
Some fighters you some fighters you can't. I can't come
at you. I have to box you, and it may
be a born night, but that's the only way I
can beat you tonight, and then I'll give you a
good performance next time.
Speaker 2 (18:47):
It's like that.
Speaker 5 (18:48):
Because you start to win and win, win, and that
the guys fight with you don't care because it lose
lose for the best guy in the time.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
But I'm win.
Speaker 5 (18:58):
I'm win the best guy in the in the fight.
But when you're there, you want to stand the game.
Why an't go exuppose me to lose the fight.
Speaker 3 (19:09):
No, I go do my best.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
I go boxing. I go to hold the fight here
and I'm winning. My business is good all, but the
promote all. I don't like that because the fight is
born and the people say, oh.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
This is okay. I'm sorry, guys, but that's the business.
You know, that's my job.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
Yes, and I hope I entertain you in the processes.
Speaker 2 (19:34):
Some nights I might not, but I still got to win.
Speaker 5 (19:37):
Yeah, because that's the game. That's the business. That's the
people don't understand. And uh, sometimes the guy come, the
promote coming. Okay, I give three hundred thousand dollars for
who win the fight in the big battle, and oh, okay,
(20:00):
that's good. But the fighters don't understand. The fighters don't
want to stand the business. That's the problem. And okay,
So when you see in general, how many fighters have
a good life inside the game, how many fighters when
(20:26):
to stand the business, and how many managers and promoters
when you stand behind the fighters have a human being, families, everything.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
Yeah, not very many.
Speaker 2 (20:44):
No, No, And it just is what it is, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
I don't want to say it's okay, but it's the
business we get in, whether it's mm A or boxing.
To your point, though, you just have to know what
you're getting into. I don't take it personal, no, definitely not,
but you gotta know what I'm getting into. It's a business.
I'm a commodity to you. I make your money and
that's just the extent. We may be really cool and close,
(21:08):
but yeah, it's business.
Speaker 5 (21:10):
It's a business because when everything's done, it's only you
and your family and how you want to stand the
business for leave the rest of your life, you know.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
And I'm I'm I'm.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Sometimes I feel sad because I saw a lot of
friends past for the very difficult situation because don't want
to stand the game, you know, and it's tough.
Speaker 2 (21:43):
What did you get the nickname Spider Wow?
Speaker 5 (21:46):
You know that's so interesting because I'm big fan for
Spider Man. I grew up with my stepdad and my
step mom in a Peter Parker.
Speaker 3 (21:55):
Is the same, you know.
Speaker 5 (21:57):
And I remember when I young, I just talk to
my mom. I step my mom, I need you need
buying the suit for Spider Man. And my mom okay,
just stop talking about that because in the time, my
mom don't have a lot of money, and uh, one
day I'm gonna come home and my mom give them
(22:17):
the suit the Spider Man too, you know. And I
putn't and I put in and I've asked, and I
put on my uniform for go to school and I.
Speaker 3 (22:28):
Remember in the class.
Speaker 5 (22:30):
Yeah, and I'm in the class. I just want to
the break. I just take my own in format and
using the Spider Man suit and with my friends in
a the three times I think the coach called my
mom and say, listen, you need to come to school
because Anderson, really thank is a Spider Man is I
(22:52):
think it's danger for him because he's doing a lot
of crazy things. And uh, my mom put in to
psychologists to see I'm crazy. Yeah, in the psycho say no, no, no,
he's okay.
Speaker 3 (23:06):
It's a kid.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Just he just loves Spider Man.
Speaker 5 (23:09):
Yeah, and that's a uh that's my first contact with
Spider Man. And I just in my mind I'm a
Spider Man. But one time I'm in Pride and I
have the shirt, the Spider Man shirt, and the lady
(23:29):
uh present Pride, just looking in and say, oh, you
look like Spider Man. I say, okay, he's joking, he's joking.
And the time you don't have a black Spider Man,
but it's okay. I think it's bullying. But it's in
the night when you start to present the fighters and
(23:50):
just the lady say, oh the from Brazil.
Speaker 3 (23:52):
The spider anders and that.
Speaker 2 (23:56):
Yeah, it was a good knight, good night you thought
like that. Yeah, here they're everywhere.
Speaker 3 (24:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (24:01):
So like most things, every good thing, at some point
has to come to an end. And in twenty thirteen,
you found trouble with a fighter named Chris Widman, Yeah,
who you were a heavy favorite to beat, but you
ended up losing that fight.
Speaker 2 (24:14):
How did you lose to him?
Speaker 1 (24:15):
I think I read somewhere where you said you didn't
take him serious.
Speaker 5 (24:18):
No, I take serious, but I think in the moment,
I'm doing a lot of uh, bad movements, the technique movements,
and I put them my legs together, and I do
a lot of bad things in the moment. In the
(24:39):
second fight, I prepare more, but I broke my leg.
But that's the game, you know, that's the people want.
I need to understand because when you're go inside, you
never know what happened to you. You don't know, and
that's you need to understand the business, you know. And uh,
when I broke my leg, then in the second fight,
(24:59):
they say, oh.
Speaker 3 (25:00):
My god, maybe now I can't fight anymore.
Speaker 5 (25:04):
And I passed the bad the bad things in my life.
And one year I remember one year I'm very bad situation,
you know, and you an't you talking about friends and
the people?
Speaker 3 (25:19):
Everybody laugh?
Speaker 5 (25:21):
It's only my family and the trio four friends stay
with me.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
How do you deal? How does Anderson Silver deal with loss?
Speaker 1 (25:32):
Your guy who won for so long when you finally
lost and things started to kind of unravel, how are
you dealing and processing with that?
Speaker 5 (25:40):
Well, you know, in a in a high level of sport,
you know, it's tough to lose. Nobody likes to lose.
But I realize in the moment.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
The one thing.
Speaker 5 (25:57):
So how I can use in the whole uh philosophy
about martial arts to help me to come back, because
this doesn't matter happen. It's not about lose. It's about
one standing what happened to lose to lose and.
Speaker 3 (26:21):
Take that.
Speaker 5 (26:23):
And try to understand the whole thing. And that's how
I put in my life, and that's martial arts help me.
Because I just come down and talk to my old masters,
and I talked to him. I remember my FO my
first fight with Chris uh, Chris Weidman. I talked to
(26:45):
my master and I talked to him and say what
do you think master? And my master say it's a
very old now and say listen, when you come here
a kid, I years old, I just train you to
come a better person, not for fight, but using everything
(27:08):
for fight. And with the fight, it's a different game.
I can't help you because that's not my game. When
you come here and then the old students come here,
I help that you and the students to come a
better person. And the moment I realize it's not about fighting.
(27:35):
Fighting is good because I need to fight because it's business.
This helped me to take care of my family, but
what is more important for me? And when I broke
my leg and back home and seeing my whole family
look me when I come out of the car and say,
no Ah, I need one to stand the game more
(27:59):
the other people because my family looked me right now,
you know. And in the moment, I feel so sad
because everybody just looked me, and I feel that it's
time to stop. I feel that and everybody, you know,
doesn't matter happen. I feel my family loved me, and
(28:24):
the moment, I just you know, now it's time to
take care of my family and.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Understand the whole thing about my life and the fight.
When I broke my leg helped me to learn a
lot of things I never think about.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
But you didn't stop.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
The fire is still there, yes, and you ended up
signing a new contract with the UFS at fifteen fight
contract with the UFC. So you're feeling that people are
calling for your retirement. There's headlines out there, writers and saying, oh,
he's old, he's this, he's that. But you end up
signing a fifteen fight deal in twenty fourteen. Why so
many fights.
Speaker 5 (29:08):
Because of born fight? You know, I say, okay, let's
do it. You know, Okay, this is a good challenge.
Speaker 3 (29:14):
But now.
Speaker 5 (29:17):
I go fight in a different situation. I go fight
for make a story in the sport, to make something
for people.
Speaker 3 (29:30):
One stand.
Speaker 5 (29:32):
You can do everything in your life. This doesn't matter,
happen to you. And that's how I continue fight and
I win couple and I lose a couple of fights.
But in generation, in the general, I I know, I
help my generation to want to stand the game. And
(29:53):
that's how I signed the last contract with UFC, you know.
And a my last fight, when I fight, I lose,
and it is so interesting because then I say, oh,
I'm doing something bad, and Underson needs stop because it's old.
Speaker 3 (30:13):
I understand, it's a business and.
Speaker 5 (30:17):
I I don't think but a lot of people think, oh,
it's a forty forty in the time, I think it's
forty or thirty nine, thirty seven, I don't know. But
for MMA, the people think it's too old.
Speaker 3 (30:34):
It's too I mean, I don't I don't believe that.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
But in the moment, everybody say, oh, I Underson needs stop,
and you know, I'd say no, it's nobody in this
age you need take a fight, and nobody have to
do in a contract with the man have this age
for a fight. And I say, okay, you know it's
not about him, It's about me. And uh.
Speaker 3 (31:00):
I come back home and I go to visit my
parents in Brazil.
Speaker 5 (31:05):
And in one month the people call me and say, oh,
how your contract with WEFC. I say, no, I'm free.
I'm not having more contract with UFC. And okay, so
my manager it Talis, call me and say, oh, you
have a fight for you in Mexico. Say oh really
(31:29):
when uh? And six months okay, who who Loo? Says
a Shovis Jr? What do you think?
Speaker 3 (31:39):
Say MMA?
Speaker 2 (31:40):
No boxing?
Speaker 5 (31:41):
And they say, okay, nice, I love this challenge, and
I call my coach and say, oh, and it's interesting
because everybody just called me when the news start say
you crazy, the guys go key you and do that,
and that you're too old, and say, yeah, I'm old.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
But it's not about old.
Speaker 5 (32:01):
It's about passion, love, And I train it hard and
I go to Magical and I fight with Javis and
when I win, a lot of people oh man, you say, yeah,
I know.
Speaker 3 (32:15):
I know.
Speaker 2 (32:15):
Yeah, I saw that fight. I couldn't believe it.
Speaker 1 (32:17):
Yeah, I mean, I knew you were a good boxer,
but he's been boxing much longer than you.
Speaker 5 (32:24):
Yeah, but it's about passion. It's about love. When you
love something.
Speaker 3 (32:30):
When you love, your job doesn't matter how.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
How is your job is a fighting business or different business.
So when you love and when you have a passion,
you don't care. You go do your best. And that's
you make successful because you don't think about money, You
don't think about prove nothing for anybody. You try to
enjoy the moment, the construction to build something for the
(33:03):
news generation.
Speaker 3 (33:03):
You know. That's that's how I tried to do my best. Everything.
Speaker 1 (33:07):
I think it's interesting because so you you know, you
have one mindset to get the championship and then dominate
for as long as you did. And then when you
saw that, okay, I may not be able to dominate
like that anymore, you said you wouldn't talk to your master.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
And then you shifted your mindset.
Speaker 1 (33:23):
Well, now it's just about passion, it's about let You
had to shift your mindset because you weren't winning.
Speaker 2 (33:29):
The way you were.
Speaker 1 (33:30):
Yeah, so you had you had to shift your mindset
in order to accept that but still enjoy what you
were doing.
Speaker 2 (33:36):
Am I getting erectly?
Speaker 3 (33:37):
Because you don't enjoy, you don't love. You need stop.
That's how talk to my kids, my sons.
Speaker 5 (33:44):
Just come talk to me that I like to fight boxing,
and I go training for fight boxing and say, okay,
so you need you question yourself, look in the mirror
and question for yourself.
Speaker 3 (33:59):
You love this?
Speaker 5 (34:01):
Oh you're doing this for proof, something for somebody, and
that's the point you love is Okay, you don't love,
don't do it?
Speaker 3 (34:11):
You know?
Speaker 5 (34:11):
And that's how I I agree is more important in
your life. You don't love, don't do it because you
come frustrate you lost the time, and lose the time
the people trusting you and believe in you. And that's
(34:33):
that's my point about fighting and the other.
Speaker 3 (34:38):
Things too in a different business.
Speaker 2 (34:41):
Why did you never fight Roy Jones?
Speaker 3 (34:43):
Jones?
Speaker 5 (34:45):
You know, it's my dream for many many years to
fight Roy, because I followed Roy my entire life and
uh my first I remember the first time I watching
is uh Roy and the Olympic Games and the guys
just stolen the metals round, you know, and I say,
(35:07):
oh my god, this man is a is a He's
a piece in the boxing.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
In the moment, I just I remember.
Speaker 5 (35:16):
I have the the DVD the whole Uh fight for
Ry Jones, and I just watching, and I remember every
single fight I have in the m M A.
Speaker 3 (35:30):
I just put in the.
Speaker 5 (35:33):
DVD the Ry Jones and the watching the whole night
and say, oh.
Speaker 3 (35:37):
Maybe I go do this tomorrow. I go this And
I'm a big fan.
Speaker 5 (35:43):
And I in the time when I broke my leg,
I remember I talked to Dana White and Lorenzo say
why don't make this fight me and Ry Jones and
the guys, Oh because this and then that, I say, listen,
that's the that's something you can't change everything. And the guys, Oh,
(36:08):
but it's different sport. What do you think do you lose?
You lose them lose because it's a different sport.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
Did you look at Connor and Floyd and see what
they did? I mean, and Danna.
Speaker 1 (36:19):
Said that would never happen, and it ended up happening. Yeah,
who's the greatest MMA fighter that you've ever faced?
Speaker 3 (36:27):
Wow?
Speaker 2 (36:28):
Faced a lot of great names. You beat a lot
of great names.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
But I think the great one different guys, but.
Speaker 2 (36:35):
The one that sticks out that say man skillfully.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
He challenged me the most. He was the one of
the hardest.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
I think.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Because it's my first title belt, and I'm so scared
because when I'm in Japan, the guys put him in
the in the in the room. It's only TV in
the room, in the two and the two, and I
put on a lot of highlights for yeah.
Speaker 3 (37:07):
Is dark in the highlights?
Speaker 5 (37:09):
For yes, a lot of people and I just wow, great,
you know it is doing this a lot?
Speaker 3 (37:19):
Is in your locker room? Yeah, in the locker room
the room, Yes, the room and the two tables and TV.
It's a lot of dark. It's very dark.
Speaker 5 (37:28):
And I said, wow, that's but it's good because I
watch him and I see a lot of things. And
in the moment, I think, win five Brazilian guys and
I say, oh my God, in trouble. But I think
the Atocrat is my first in a big, big, big
(37:50):
challenge and is the the very big name I fight
in the moment. Of course I fight with the Henderson
and Carlis Newton in a different legend. But I think
because it's my first title belt, is is a very
it's very it's special for me.
Speaker 1 (38:08):
Is the fight that you've never got, that you were
supposed to get, that you wish you got, that the
UFC never.
Speaker 3 (38:17):
Saw in USC. I take me and George and you know.
Speaker 2 (38:24):
Are you done fighting?
Speaker 3 (38:26):
No?
Speaker 5 (38:27):
No, come on no never no never, no, God give
me everything.
Speaker 3 (38:34):
And uh I train you every day. Of course you
still train every day? Yeah, I train every day.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
What discipline?
Speaker 5 (38:40):
I training physical training every day two days a week.
I trained U and the has today. I training boxing
one day and week training.
Speaker 1 (38:53):
You get a phone call, I'm ready, I'm ready.
Speaker 2 (38:58):
So you don't believe in retirement, No, I don't believe.
Speaker 5 (39:01):
Of course I have the different business I work and
my producing about movies.
Speaker 3 (39:07):
I have my my schools.
Speaker 5 (39:12):
College, I have the Killer Bees with my partners, I
have a spider teeth brain, I have a lot of things,
but my passion, my love is fight, and that's I
keep ready. You know, it's crazy because that's I talk
to my friends. They say, you know, you know what
the Special Force and the Army, that's the same. I'm ready,
(39:37):
you know, I just need one thing, just where my
opponent and the wait.
Speaker 3 (39:44):
That's the point, you know. I train every day to this.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
So you still got your phone on just in case?
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Yes, exactly.
Speaker 1 (39:51):
Man, brother, listen, we could talk all day. We're gonna,
we're gonna, we're gonna do a part two of this.
Speaker 2 (39:56):
Yes, we have more time.
Speaker 1 (39:58):
I want to dig into the detail of your career
and just talk more about those things. But man, I
appreciate the time you gave us uh honor to be.
Speaker 2 (40:05):
Talking to you.
Speaker 1 (40:06):
Man, a legend in the sport, a man who has
been about excellence for so many years. And I appreciate
also how you carry yourself too, because you don't carry
yourself like a fighter. You carry yourself like a normal person.
But we know, we know
Speaker 3 (40:23):
Thank you, thank you so much.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.