How big is Wanderlei Silva to MMA history compared to UFC stars?

[DanDragon Machi]

We all know that the UFC has become much bigger than Pride ever was, and this directly impacts the relevance and representation of an athlete (he will be much better known as a champion in the UFC than in the best days of Pride)

That said, how big and important is Wanderlei compared to some of these UFC dominant guys like Aldo, Usman, Miocic and Hughes for ex? I don't think having five title defenses in Pride is as big as having five title defenses in UFC best days and although Wanderlei's victories were visually much more impactful than Aldo or Usman's , it was an impact restricted to the East while victories in UFC generates an impact on a global level. The same logic can be apllied in Fedor

 

[sonofjay817]

 

[2004 account]

Your love and respect for such a monster in his prime like wandy will come down to how much of a post tuf noob you are.


Vets know he is as important and popular as some of those listed in the OP.

 

[TheBulge]

He is very important and I'll tell you why. Pride always had fixed fights and was attached to pro wrestling. This would shift later mainly because of fighters like Wanderlei Silva.

Where the guys before him and maybe around him would take dives/alter fights, he always refused and instead went 100% in every fight. Even their most prized trophy(OP's avatar) could not be protected with money backstage, so Wanderlei utterly destroyed him 3 times.

I can't even think of 1 fight of his and the other brazilians(Rua, Arona, Nogueira etc) that looked off or suspect. So that's how Wanderlei turned the tide in Japan and made MMA legit. They could not take him down that way so what they did in the end was pair him up against heavyweights(some killers too) which he had no business being in the ring with which broke him physically.

Very important guy in MMA history.

 

[BowserJr]

Wanderlei was and is huge in Japan!

I think he will be remembered like a Jack Dempsey or something. A big name from the early days who was a very successful champion and one who was feared.

UFC may be bigger in a global scale but Pride was bigger in Japan than the UFC will ever be in the US or any one country.

 

[AndrewGolota48]

Maybe I'm biased because he was the big star of Pride when I got into MMA, and I preferred Pride to the UFC by a great margin back then, but he's a clear all time legend, up there with Lidell.

The two of them represent true fighters in their soul to me, both wound up making money but they got into it during a time when it was just what they loved to do. I often joke that Wanderlei was the real life representation of Sean Strickland's pre-fight talk.

 

[JakePaulMMA]

Wanderlei was/is so huge from his PRIDE days. They had to throw Mark Hunt at him. Most people that competed against Wanderlei might be more familiar with the bottom of his feet rather than his footwork.

(because he stomped the shit out of people's faces)

 

[Jarvan]

Wand was a terrifying fighter
I'd say the most terrifying fighter in the history of MMA
head stomps and soccer kicks
The face offs
The finishes
Sakuraba's face after their first match
Rampage going through the ropes and leaking blood on the canvas
Blessed to have been a fan of MMA during his reign of terror
And lets not forget his Brazilian Vale Tudo matches

 

[moreorless87]

Reputation wise he does have the advantage that besides being well known in Japan he became a fan favourite in the UFC post Pride, granted he wasnt at his peak anymore but still just his latter UFC fights are well remembered.

 

[jeff7b9]

PrideFC was without question the premier MMA organization in the world during Wandys run and in my opinion, held the deepest 205 and HW divisions the sport has ever seen.

And he DOMINATED in that era.

Those who know, know what's up.

Rampage remains one of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen and Wandy left him slumped lifeless on the ropes leaking above a puddle of blood.

 

[Ayreon]

Status: Legend

 

[BowserJr]

PrideFC was without question the premier MMA organization in the world during Wandys run and in my opinion, held the deepest 205 and HW divisions the sport has ever seen.

And he DOMINATED in that era.

Those who know, know what's up.

Rampage remains one of the biggest stars the sport has ever seen and Wandy left him slumped lifeless on the ropes leaking above a puddle of blood.


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The UFC early 2010s HW may have been deeper
Werdum, Cain, JDS, Carwin, Mir, Barnett, old Nog, Brock, Randy, Gonzaga, Crocop, Arlovski

2007-2010 LHW was very stacked too
Shogun, Rampage, Machida, Rashad, Chuck, Jardine, Lil Nog, Thiago Silva, Glover, Jones, Tito

However for LHW many of these guys while still good were declining.

I also think 2007 Rampage beats 2003 or 2004 Wanderlei

 

[BowserJr]

Maybe I'm biased because he was the big star of Pride when I got into MMA, and I preferred Pride to the UFC by a great margin back then, but he's a clear all time legend, up there with Lidell.

The two of them represent true fighters in their soul to me, both wound up making money but they got into it during a time when it was just what they loved to do. I often joke that Wanderlei was the real life representation of Sean Strickland's pre-fight talk.

Yes sir!

That soul of a fighter is all too rare now. Basically it's only the guys that are in true contention for the BMF belt.

It would be awesome if they changed it to JBG (just bleed god ) Belt

 

[frontkick1]

Wanderlei silva was and maybe still is one of the most iconic figure ever in mma.
Love him or hate him he was the most violent but above all the most influencial fighter back then. He is the first mma megastar on the planet. His looks his style of fighting, tatoos, he had it all to be the poster boy of mma.

 

[Egészségére!]

 

[Dr. Rose]

He is very important and I'll tell you why. Pride always had fixed fights and was attached to pro wrestling. This would shift later mainly because of fighters like Wanderlei Silva.

Where the guys before him and maybe around him would take dives/alter fights, he always refused and instead went 100% in every fight. Even their most prized trophy(OP's avatar) could not be protected with money backstage, so Wanderlei utterly destroyed him 3 times.

I can't even think of 1 fight of his and the other brazilians(Rua, Arona, Nogueira etc) that looked off or suspect. So that's how Wanderlei turned the tide in Japan and made MMA legit. They could not take him down that way so what they did in the end was pair him up against heavyweights(some killers too) which he had no business being in the ring with which broke him physically.

Very important guy in MMA history.

Well put. Anderson's fights seemed a little suspect to me, but that was it.

 

[moreorless87]

The UFC early 2010s HW may have been deeper
Werdum, Cain, JDS, Carwin, Mir, Barnett, old Nog, Brock, Randy, Gonzaga, Crocop, Arlovski

2007-2010 LHW was very stacked too
Shogun, Rampage, Machida, Rashad, Chuck, Jardine, Lil Nog, Thiago Silva, Glover, Jones, Tito

However for LHW many of these guys while still good were declining.

I also think 2007 Rampage beats 2003 or 2004 Wanderlei

I think the UFC HW division of that era had more "names" but really 2010's Nog, Crocop, Arlovski, Randy were obviously quite declined.

The strength of the mid 00's HW division was it wasnt depending on guys building themselves up with wins over declining names, Kerr dropped off but also dropped out of the sport and Igor went to LHW.

 

[Bork Neslar]

You shouldn't ask questions you already have an answer for... It's pointless.

 

[World eater]

Prime Wand was what mma was all about for me back then. He was absolutely fearless, violent and uncompromising. Sometimes rewatching those old fights makes me hate all the modern point-fighting, fence-hugging garbage that goes on these days. He was a beast. All due respect to Aldo, Usman, Izzy and what not, but Wand’s highlight reel will be a standout for as long as mma exists.

 

[JKS]

My fav fighter of all time and if someone were to write the history books of MMA, Wanderlei would certainly have a place.

But compared to the UFC stars, not that big considering Wanderlei's peak was in Japan with their fan base. He was known in Japan and Brazil, but never popular in the US and Europe.