UFCs Anderson Silva signs with talent agency ICM Partners in search of television/movie acting and producing roles

It doesn't seem like all that long ago when the apparent bromance between former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Middleweight champion Anderson Silva and early 1990s action star Steven Seagal was the big running joke in mixed martial arts (MMA).

In those halcyon days back when an undefeated kid from Long Island, N.Y., named Chris Weidman wasn't even on "The Spider" radar, Seagal could often be found in Silva's corner before fights. And after the referee inevitably raised Silva's hand, the increasingly rotund Aikido master routinely gave backstage interviews where he took credit for the "deadly stuff" the then-champ executed in the Octagon.

At the time we all laughed at the absurdity of a past-his-prime action star having something to teach arguably the greatest MMA fighter on the planet. Silva later dispelled those rumors, and apparently seemed to distance himself from the man who tugged at the heartstrings of audiences worldwide with his riveting performance as "Cock Puncher" in the 2008 film "The Onion Movie."

Well, now it appears Seagal may have had something to teach Silva after all: How to parlay a martial arts background into a successful career in Hollywood.

That's right, it appears Silva is looking to follow in the footsteps of fellow UFC megastars Georges St. Pierre -- who will play Batroc the Leaper in the upcoming "Captain America" sequel -- and Ronda Rousey -- who will soon appear in the films "Entourage" and "The Expendables 3."

According to a report from the film industry website Deadline.com, Silva has signed a deal with the Los Angeles, Calif.,-based talent agency ICM Partners for "worldwide representation as he looks into acting and producing films and TV, publishing and endorsement branding."

If Silva is looking to break into showbiz in America, his tenuous grasp on the English language would be a major obstacle for him to overcome. Other than playing the main bad guy's hired muscle, there aren't many roles in Hollywood for a man who can barely hold a conversation in English.

Nonetheless, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to bet against Silva. After all, this is the same man who is already hitting pads in the gym just two months removed from a horrific leg injury at UFC 168 on Dec. 28, 2013.

History has shown that Silva can accomplish just about anything he sets his mind to ... aside from defeating Weidman, of course.