Anderson Silva talks impending retirement, weighs in on Khabib-Jones GOAT debate
Former middleweight champion Anderson Silva goes 1-on-1 with Kevin Iole to discuss his love for MMA and why he doesn't rank the greatest fighters of all time.
Video Transcript
KEVIN IOLE: Hey folks, I am Kevin Iole and what a great privilege is for me today. One of the greatest fighters in the history of mixed martial arts, one of the most exciting guys to watch is my guest right now, Anderson, the spider, Silva. And on Saturday at Apex, he will be fighting a really difficult fight against number 10 rated middleweight, Uriah Hall.
Anderson, you've been doing a lot of this, you've been doing great with your English. I remember when the only two words in English you used to know were, "my friend." And now, here you are, getting ready for a big fight. How are you?
ANDERSON SILVA: Better, better. I'm good, and you? Tell me about you.
KEVIN IOLE: I am awesome. So I guess the big news is last week you said, this might be your final fight. Now it seems like maybe it's not your final fight. What's going on? Is it your final fight or are you still deciding? What's happening?
ANDERSON SILVA: Well maybe this is my last fight. We will see, probably. But let's go see, you know? Because I think my thoughts were one thing, CHEERS Uriah Hall right now, and after there, let's see. Let's talk to Dana, because Dana say Anderson has two more fights, but it's up to me. But let's go see.
After Saturday, I can come talk to you and say, OK, this is my last fight, or not. I have more. But probably inside you have seen this is my last fight.
KEVIN IOLE: So when you say that, it leaves open that you're going to fight probably a different discipline. Because if you have more fights left in your career, I know Mike Tyson and Roy Jones were fighting, and you've been attached to Roy Jones a few times. Is this boxing something you think about?
ANDERSON SILVA: Well, maybe I fight boxing, maybe if I fight kickboxing, maybe I fight jiu jitsu I don't know. I love my sport. I love martial arts. Let's go see. It is a very interesting moment for us, especially because the world has changed a lot. Let's go see.
KEVIN IOLE: You say the world's changed a lot, and of course, you're referring to the pandemic and everything. How has that affected you? You have a young family that you're raising and everything. Maybe you have a different outlook on it than than some other fighters. Has it impacted you negatively? Has it made it harder for you to get ready to get to this point?
ANDERSON SILVA: Well, I think it's this change a lot the life for every single family, and you need you take care of yourself and to care about your family. But for me, I think, the big change is just training my home and staying close to my team. Everybody takes the test a lot, me too, and stay safe. And try to make a good example for every single person, in my [INAUDIBLE] too and stay safe. Stay using the whole procedure for make something safe for everybody.
KEVIN IOLE: Anderson, since this may be your final UFC fight, I want to talk to you about some issues that the fans wonder about. And when you were fighting in Pride before you got to the UFC, you were a good fighter, you were a guy that people liked, and when you signed with the UFC, there was a lot of excitement. But you weren't the dominant force that you quickly became when you went in the UFC. What changed that you went from a good fighter, you get to the UFC, and all of a sudden you're a legendary figure? You raised your game. What was the difference? How are you able to do that?
ANDERSON SILVA: Well, I think it's Pride and the other events I fight. When I start it's a different moment, and UFC has a huge brand in the world. A lot of people are working hard to make the UFC brand popular in the whole world.
And I'm lucky, because when I come to UFC, UFC gives a great opportunity for the rest the world to watch me, and every single person in a different country sees Anderson Silva inside the cage and fight a lot. And it's tough for me to talk about UFC, because I have amazing story inside this company, and I love a lot of people working here, and I have a great respect for Dana and Lorenzo and the Fertitta brothers. And I think you see it's the best event in the world. It has the best fighters ever.
And this is a talk I talk for every single person. And I talk this a lot, everybody knows about that. And imagine that you see, take the the whole fighter's year, one in a class, a heavyweight like heavyweight in my class, and put him to fight in different events. Probably you'll see him win, because UFC has the best fighters in the world. That's it. When people ask me, who's the best fighter in the world? I think [INAUDIBLE] because you UFC has the best fighters.
Every single person fight here, every single fighter come inside and see, and make the story inside UFC is special. And I'm so happy because I'm part of this.
KEVIN IOLE: You were long regarded as the greatest fighter in the world. Now a lot of people think it's either Khabib or Magomed Medov or Jon Jones. And I'm wondering as a fan of mixed martial arts, you love the sport, who do you think is the greatest? Would you say Khabib or Jon?
ANDERSON SILVA: Oh wow.
KEVIN IOLE: Could you repeat that? I didn't hear you Anderson.
ANDERSON SILVA: You know, I love both. I love Khabib. He's a very amazing guy. He's is a special fighter. He's a very, very good guy. And Jon Jones, I can't talk about Jon Jones, because for me, Jon Jones, is my young brother.
And I think, you don't have the best fighter, you know? I think there's best moment for every single person. Jon Jones has a best moment. Khabib has a best moment. Conor has a best moment. Chuck Liddell has a best moment. Royce Gracie, Vitor Belfort, Rodrigo Minotauro, José Aldo, me, Rich Franklin, Carlos Newton, and the other fighters, the guys that make this brand huge. You know, it is not about the best fighter. The UFC brand is a huge right now because every single person comes inside UFC, does their best, and makes something special. I think UFC is special, not one person. The best fighters, I think don't have.
KEVIN IOLE: OK. I see your shirt. You're wearing the picture of yourself with the kick to Vitor Belfort.
ANDERSON SILVA: Oh, this is the logo to my company.
KEVIN IOLE: Right, and that was a kick to when you hit Vitor in the face, right? And that was one of your most famous knockout. First of all, in your mind, was that your greatest win, because there was a rivalry between you? Brazil split a little bit, and you ended it in a very dramatic and dominating way. First of all, would you say that was your most significant win?
ANDERSON SILVA: Well, I think the fight with Vitor is very special, because the moment the fight happened, everything changed in the world, especially in my country. And this fight opened on a lot of doors for Brazilian fighters, and made the sport more popular in Brazil.
And I need to say thank you to Vitor, because VItor started fighting UFC for a long time, and Vitor had a huge story inside the UFC. And I'm happy, because Vitor gave me a great moment inside the cage. And I think for the fans, for us, for Vitor, for me, for the new generation, this fight continues to help the future for people watching and saying, wow. The best fighters come inside the cage and do your best.
KEVIN IOLE: And so that leads me to a question, because one of your fights previously to that in Abu Dhabi, when you fight Demian Maia. I was there in Abu Dhabi that night. And I remember standing after--
ANDERSON SILVA: I remember you talked to me. I remember. I remember.
KEVIN IOLE: I was standing outside waiting to go into the press conference and you were in a trailer and Dana went in there, and I remember I thought Dana was like a running back in football, because it going to knocked people over when he was mad. And you could hear a conversation outside the trailer. Dana was mad at you for the way you fought.
ANDERSON SILVA: He was very mad. You know, let me tell you something. A lot of people, a lot of fighters, are scared of Dana, but Dana is a good guy. But sometimes he's becomes angry, because, two things. Inside the cage, Dana doesn't have control, because inside a cage, who's the business? It's the fighters who are the business inside. It's my business, it's not Dana's business.
But I think the fight with Dana is why I don't like to talk too much. Because when you talk too much, everything changes inside when you go inside. And that was the problem for this fight in Abu Dhabi. And Dana came to talk to me and I said. I'm sorry, but I'm win the fight. I can't do it everything you like inside a cage, because that's my world. Your world is outside. You make the fight.
And after that Dana tried to put it in a different class, and again, I just, inside the cage, this is my world. That's not your world. It's my world. In my world, I know everything.
KEVIN IOLE: Is it intimidating? Like when he came in that day, you're the you're the best fighter in the world at that point , you could pop him and drop him, right? But he's mad, and he's in your face. And he feels like he wants to put on a good show for the people in Abu Dhabi.
ANDERSON SILVA: And he does a good show. I think it's amazing too. When you look at this fight for Demian Maia, my god, he's amazing. It's a very interesting show. I don't think so it's so bad.
Dana expects too much, but this has not happened. Sometimes you knock out the guy, sometimes you take the knockout, sometimes the fight is perfect, so you think in your mind. But is not about Dana. It's not about how much Dana respects you. It's about how much you prepared for the fight and did your best, the best you can.
KEVIN IOLE: I want to ask you one other question on that line. In boxing a lot of times, the fighters will say, win this one, look good and the next one. But in an MMA, you see the fighters fight offensively a lot more sometimes then maybe would be good. They could win it in a more boring style, but you hear a guy say, I want to have my brawl and I want to have my moment.
Do you think that's because promoters urge that kind of fight? Does Dana urge that kind of fight? And do you think that fighters feel that pressure to perform that certain way?
ANDERSON SILVA: Well, you know, it's tough, because you make a good fight--
OK. Let me try to explain. You put in the [INAUDIBLE] OK, this is how I would design, right? You expect, oh, maybe this is amazing fight. [? Israel ?] will maybe knock him out, or maybe Anderson knock him out, Israel. But sometimes times this doesn't happen. Because fighters fight.
It's different. You can imagine in your mind, but inside a cage is completely different. And I think that Dana has a lot of experience in putting on good shows, but sometimes it's not happening. It is a business. Sometimes your business comes good, sometimes not.
KEVIN IOLE: Interesting. How is Lorenzo that way? I mean, I know you were close to Lorenzo. Was he upset the way the fight was, or did he was he more accepting of however it goes it goes?
ANDERSON SILVA: Well, I think, you know, when people ask me about Dana, I just talk very simple. I don't have anything to say bad about Dana. Dana is a very interesting man, but a very good guy. I respect Dana a lot.
When I have a problem with Dana, I just talk. I'm not the same as the other fighters. You know, sometimes times the people take everything Dana puts on the table, and when it's done, oh because this-- they try to talk bad about Dana. But it's not about talking bad for the people. Just make something good for both sides. know
And when I talk about Lorenzo, I'm very happy. I miss Lorenzo inside UFC because Lorenzo is a very good guy. Dana is a good guy too, but I think Lorenzo just brings the energy closer to a family company. And I feel when Lorenzo left the UFC, this energy left too, because Lorenzo made something special for every single person.
And I think the problem right now is because Dana doesn't have a time to do the same. You know, sometimes Dana is here, sometimes Dana is-- where's Dana White? In flight, In here, there, and there and there, and working a lot. And I think Dana doesn't have the time to continue to make the same energy inside the company. Especially because the company now is a completely different owner and everything.
But I love UFC. I have an amazing story inside this company. In every single moment I tried to do my best. I trained hard every single day to stay prepared, because I know sometimes something happened. And I'm ready to take the fight, the same I do it with Daniel Cormier, and the same I do with the guy in Brazil. And that's my part. That's the my part inside the company, to do my best and stay ready the whole time.
KEVIN IOLE: I know this may or may not be your last fight, but when you're done and you're no longer fighting, what will be what you miss the most? Will be the actual fights? Or will it be going to the gym, and training and being with your teammates? Or something else?
ANDERSON SILVA: I think I will feel sad about training camp. Because every single camp training I have, some things change. I absorb more and [INAUDIBLE] technique. And the relationship with the guys too. Because every single camp I have, I bring the best guys in their skills.
And every single person teaches me something new. And for me, it's amazing, because I love martial arts, and then when I'm training a lot and absorb the different technique I just say, oh my god thank, you, god for giving me this opportunity.
Two days ago, when I come to Vegas, I talked to the whole team, and everybody was emotional, and I just say, guys, thank you so much. Maybe this is the last camp training, but I'm very happy, because every single person here is special for me.
I need to say thank you, because it's one more fight, but it's not about fighting. It's about how much you love your job, how much you love everything your life, and try to make something special for yourself.
And that's why come here and I fight again.
KEVIN IOLE: For the last what 15 or so years, I have loved watching you fight, as I have millions of other people.
Anderson, thank you so much. We'll see you at the Apex on Saturday. Good luck to you, and appreciate all your time. Congratulations on a magnificent career.
ANDERSON SILVA: Thank you, my friend. See you.