Everything about their meeting was tense, including the final face-off, where Silva donned an all-white mask similar to those worn by the breakdancing crew The Jabbawockeez as the two went forehead-to-forehead. Silva then slid the mask up and got right back into Belfort’s face, the two men jawing at each other as Dana White tried to force his way between them to keep them from coming to blows.
The first three minutes of the fight were largely uneventful — two dangerous men circling one another, exchanging occasional low kicks with Belfort rushing forward and landing a lone solid left hand before catching a head kick attempt and spilling Silva to the canvas, only for the champion to pop right back to his feet instantaneously.
As they worked back to space, Silva flashed the defensive movements that defined his fight with Griffin, avoiding everything Belfort had to offer before snapping out a front kick that landed directly on his opponent’s chin.
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“He front kicked him in the face!” Joe Rogan boomed on the broadcast as Silva put the finishing touches on another signature victory.
Later that year, the UFC returned to Rio de Janeiro, and Silva received a hero’s welcome, headlining the show and successfully defending his title against Yushin Okami. The highlight reel finish of Belfort had turned the unquestioned best fighter on the planet into an unquestioned MMA superstar, including at home, and this was a celebration of Silva and all things Brazilian MMA.
Just under a year later, he shared the Octagon with Sonnen for a second time, getting out-wrestled in the first to prompt feelings of deja vu before dispatching “The Bad Guy” in the second round, punctuating the finish with a vicious knee to the chest while Sonnen was seated along the fence.
Three months later, he returned to Brazil and the light heavyweight division, taking a short notice fight with veteran Stephan Bonnar, styling on the former Ultimate Fighter finalist, displaying the flair and showmanship that came to define his reign atop the sport.
The first-round stoppage win on October 13, 2012 would be his last until a decision win over Derek Brunson on February 11, 2017; the final victory in a record 16-fight UFC winning streak.
Nine months later, he stepped in with undefeated rising star Chris Weidman, took the standout from Long Island too lightly and paid a costly price, losing his title, his winning streak, and his aura of invincibility all in one careless performance. They ran it back later in the year with the sequel ending two seconds sooner than the first encounter, when Silva’s leg snapped as Weidman checked a low kick.
He eventually worked his way back, but he was never the same.
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