When Anderson Silva faced Vitor Belfort in the main event of UFC 126, Silva was on an impressive 13-fight winning streak. Seven of those wins came in defense of the UFC middleweight title he had won five years prior with a first-round knockout of then-champion Rich Franklin. By the time Silva faced Belfort, he had already cemented his claim as one of the all-time great MMA fighters.
When the two stepped into the cage to battle for Silva’s title, the champion was a -270 favorite over Belfort, who came in as the +155 underdog.
The crowd was understandably excited for this matchup, but their excitement quickly turned to bewilderment as the two spent the first 90 seconds of the fight circling each other in the center of the cage without throwing a single strike. The cheers of the fans inside the Mandalay Bay Events Center on that night in February 2011, quickly turned to boos as the clock ticked down without any action between the two feared Brazilian fighters.
Belfort stuck first with a low leg kick. Silva returned a kick of his own and then as was (and is) his style, Silva’s motion increased and his hands dropped to his sides. Any student of Silva’s run would tell you that change was a signal that Silva had figured out his opponent.
Some minor exchanges took place as the round wore on, but neither fighter did any real damage until Silva delivered a perfectly timed front kick to Belfort’s face. The blow crumpled Belfort to the mat where Silva delivered two punches that sealed the deal.
The kick that Silva used to end the fight can be found in any highlight reel of the best knockouts in the history of the UFC.
Since that win Silva’s star has faded a bit. He won three fights after stopping Belfort but has since gone 1-5 with one no contest.