Post-op Wanderlei Silva following in some pretty ugly footsteps

by Jesse Holland on Oct 15, 2009 11:36 AM EDT

Quoteworthy:

"Master Rafael [Cordeiro is] two or three years older than me and when I started, he was already a black belt. He’s very ugly, but he was famous and had a beautiful girlfriend, so it gave me hope that I could do well one day too. He was very good in fights and Muay Thai, then he started in jiu-jitsu and did great too, then in Karate too. He’s very talented. I never saw a guy more talented in training or leading the training. Rafael was unbelievable. On the other hand, Pelé also inspired me. He was the baddest man I every met. I never met a guy as bad as he is. We had no way of training with him. He beat you up in training and didn’t care."

Former Pride FC Middleweight Champion Wanderlei Silva talks about the road to mixed martial arts stardom that began back in Brazil under some pretty difficult circumstances. The 34-year-old "Axe Murderer" has lost five of his last six fights, dating back to 2006. He hasn’t been fighting creampuffs; however, and banked a "Fight of the Night" bonus for his war with Rich Franklin at UFC 99. Where does he go with a win over Yoshihiro Akiyama if and when they meet in early 2010? More importantly, where does he go with a loss?

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silva vs akiyama is going to be freaking sweet!!

by jj on Oct 15, 2009 11:40 AM EDT reply actions

silva won the fight against rich. no way that was a unanimous decision for rich. war silva!!!!!!!!!!

by tiko on Oct 15, 2009 10:14 PM EDT up reply actions

u must hav not watched the fight..

by guyverbob on Oct 16, 2009 1:58 AM EDT up reply actions

what a picture!

by Mc19 on Oct 15, 2009 11:41 AM EDT reply actions

i know right! i thought it was photoshopped… is it?

by Synyster on Oct 15, 2009 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions

i don’t think so..

nice pic!~

by stinky~fingers on Oct 15, 2009 1:11 PM EDT up reply actions

no they photoshopped the ugly side of Twoface from the Dark Knight movie.

by Egads on Oct 15, 2009 1:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Wandi looks like a ninja turtle in this pic…

by Arnold on Oct 15, 2009 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

OK this may sound a bit gay but it’s sort of hard to look at Wand—he’s that ugly. His head sort of reminds me of a tumor.

by frosnt on Oct 15, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions

It’s totally photo shopped check their gloves, UFC is backwards and on the cage as well. Wandi totally looks like a monkey

by mmafreak on Oct 15, 2009 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Its not photo shopped but it has been flipped for some reason, he actually hit franklin with a sweet right, even his tattoo is on the wrong shoulder, dunno y!!

by Feetsy on Oct 16, 2009 4:28 AM EDT up reply actions

A loss will leave him stranded and with no chance of a UFC title shot… a win will push him towards a contender fight (Nate, Hendo…?)

Have to also second the “what a picture” comment!!!

by Paul The Ham on Oct 15, 2009 11:45 AM EDT reply actions

oh and forgot to say a rematch with Vitor!!!

by Paul The Ham on Oct 15, 2009 11:48 AM EDT reply actions

Which would be pointless but fun!

by The Negation on Oct 15, 2009 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions

Somebody needs to take some starch to the side of Richs face to knock them wrinkles out.

by The Legacy on Oct 15, 2009 11:50 AM EDT reply actions

Wand’s legacy works as an example of love for the sports. I’ll always support him.

by Eduardo on Oct 15, 2009 12:13 PM EDT reply actions

USE YOUR DAM JITS WAND!! FOR CRYIN’ OUT LOUD!!!!!

by McArthur on Oct 15, 2009 12:24 PM EDT reply actions

that would be a nice change~

but against akiyama, he should bang him out..

by stinky~fingers on Oct 15, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

wand’s never lost to a jap..

by stinky~fingers on Oct 15, 2009 1:13 PM EDT up reply actions

wow thats true!

by McArthur on Oct 15, 2009 3:23 PM EDT up reply actions

COnsidering all the Japs he fought in Pride were cans.

So if logic could be applied to this, then here’s how I put it. Wanderlei=Japanese can buster; Akiyama=Japanese, therefore Akiyama=can…Makes sense? ;)

by The Negation on Oct 15, 2009 5:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Sakuraba is hardly a can

by salamagogo on Oct 15, 2009 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Well he is now…

by The Negation on Oct 16, 2009 7:39 PM EDT up reply actions

Man. I like them both.

I think Wandy won’t be fighting for the belt in the UFC and Sexyama is the potential coming up superstar. So I am pulling for Sexy.

by Russian on Oct 15, 2009 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

AKIyama is way too small to compete at MW, he barely beat the can they put in front of him last time, as for wandy how many more fights does he have to lose before he is cut. Just retire allready, maybe when his streak is up to 9 loses in his last 10 fights, dana will put him out to pasture before he becomes a vegetable.

by curly on Oct 15, 2009 12:42 PM EDT up reply actions

belcher is definately not a can

by COR on Oct 15, 2009 3:25 PM EDT up reply actions

Belcher? Can? Wtf?!?

by The Negation on Oct 15, 2009 6:01 PM EDT up reply actions

With a loss? I’m sad to say he should hang ’em up.

by McArthur on Oct 15, 2009 12:30 PM EDT reply actions

I’d rather watch Wandy lose than many other UFC fighters win… I say he should keep fighting no matter what. Unless, of course, there is health issues involved.

by introvert on Oct 15, 2009 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

Damn right, Wand goes out swinging if he is going out. you can’t tell me when the techno starts before he comes out, that you all don’t get jacked up just that bit more than any other fighter.

BUT, Wand, how about a thai clinch and some knees like yesteryear, throw us a bone.

by the Slovak on Oct 15, 2009 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions

Ya, those knees are awesome…too bad he forgot how great they are.

by introvert on Oct 15, 2009 1:40 PM EDT up reply actions

This picture reminds me of Little Mac getting clobbered by Soda Popinski in Mike Tyson’s Punch-out.

by remedy on Oct 15, 2009 1:06 PM EDT reply actions

really? i feel for u..

ive never been clobbered by soda popinski, so i wouldn’t know.

popinski’s my bitch!~ i owned him, lol

by stinky~fingers on Oct 15, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Soda Popinkski was a bitch. It was always Macho Man and that damn spin punch that owned me.

by PW on Oct 15, 2009 2:29 PM EDT up reply actions

Macho man is just a glorified version of Soda Popinski[who looks like an old laundry maid from around here], just like Great Tiger is a version 2.0 of Von Kaiser, hehehe!

by The Negation on Oct 15, 2009 6:05 PM EDT up reply actions

lol, pw!~

i just finally beat macho man last year.. and im serious!~ i could never beat him when i was a kid.. i got a wii, and i downloaded it to my system.. it took a bit, but i can finally beat him..

i always called him super macho titties.. straight up dood, that titty dance he did before the fight always threw me off..

now i can’t beat mr dream~ :(

by stinky~fingers on Oct 15, 2009 6:55 PM EDT up reply actions

Wtf ever stink!! You and me both know what happened you little bitch!! How dare you soil my good name!

by Soda Popinski on Oct 15, 2009 2:55 PM EDT reply actions

LMAO!! Nice PW!!

by McArthur on Oct 15, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions

lol, soda!~ u know what realy happened, u drunkard..

countering your weak left hook would always get me the stars i needed to knock u the fock out!~

by stinky~fingers on Oct 15, 2009 6:58 PM EDT up reply actions

Holy shite rich looks brutal in this pic.

by nathan on Oct 15, 2009 3:21 PM EDT reply actions

ya…oddly enough though he still looks better than Wand

by McArthur on Oct 15, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Was he just talkin’ about Pelé the football god?

And man, those are some ugly mofos right there in the pic!

by The Negation on Oct 15, 2009 5:17 PM EDT reply actions

No he was talking about Jose “Pele” Landi-Jons the famous fighter from the famous Chute Boxe Academy!

by ItsNormlToSmokePot on Oct 15, 2009 5:47 PM EDT up reply actions

Thanks for the clear up. Nice handle too man.

by The Negation on Oct 15, 2009 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

JUST WONDERINGS GUYS WHO PELE that Wandy talkin about that jobber that came in a heavywieght a little bit back ? does anyone know. WANDERLIE should keep fighting he just puts a “great show for the fans” lol love the guy :)