DAMN! They Were Good | Wanderlei Silva, The Most Intimidating Fighter In MMA History

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11/02/23 • 161 min

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 to ever compete in MMA.

22 years ago this Friday, Wanderlei Silva made history, becoming the inaugural Pride Middleweight Champion after beating Kazushi Sakuraba for the second time at Pride 17. That win cemented "The Ax 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 would see him do nothing but reinforce that image. Whether he was annihilating cans or kneeing Quinton Jackson through the ropes, for half a decade, Wanderlei was appointment viewing, and his willingness to test himself against anyone, including guys 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.

Follow Guilherme Cruz: @guicruzzz

Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee

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Follow Guilherme Cruz: @guicruzzz

Follow Alexander K. Lee: @AlexanderKLee

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Previous Episode

No Bets Barred: Does Jailton Almeida Keep Rolling Against Derrick Lewis At UFC Sao Paulo?

The No Bets Barred boys are back this week with a full breakdown of UFC Sao Paulo and the main event matchup between Jailton Almeida and Derrick Lewis.

Co-hosts Conner Burks and Jed Meshew kick things off with a discussion Francis Ngannou's surprise performance against Tyson Fury before diving into the betting breakdowns this week. Topics discussed include whether Lewis has a chance at pulling off the upset or if Jailton is simply too good, whether Nicolas Dalby can remain "The Brazilian Slayer," and just what are the chances of pulling of one big Brazilian parlay?

Tune in for episode 67 of No Bets Barred.

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Follow Jed Meshew: @JedKMeshew

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Next Episode

HOAM | Will Sean O'Malley Be Next Fighter To Crossover To Boxing?

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On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting's Mike Heck attempts to answer that question, and gives his thoughts about how close O'Malley could be to getting his big money opportunity. Additionally, listener topics include the UFC anti-trust case and the promotion's appeal getting denied, Francis Ngannou's next move, how the PFL needs to capitalize on Ngannou's performance against Tyson Fury, promotional rankings, and much more.

You can listen live to Heck of a Morning Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 10 a.m. ET on the MMA Fighting Twitter Spaces.