Wanderlei Silva was involved in one of the most embarrassing moments in UFC history when Dana White announced his return in the Octagon.
Wanderlei Silva will go down as one of the most feared fighters in UFC history and his nickname, ‘The Axe Murderer’ epitomizes him perfectly.
Silva first made his UFC debut in 1998 when he took on Vitor Belfort at UFC Brazil, in what was the promotion’s first ever event in the country, with Brazil now being one of the UFC’s main locations.
Belfort went on to knock Silva out in the first round and years down the line, Silva continuously called for a rematch against Belfort but it never came to fruition.
Wanderlei Silva suffered embarrassing moment when Dana White announced his signing
After his first stint in the UFC, Wanderlei returned to the regional scene in Brazil. He then returned to the UFC in 2000 to take on Tito Ortiz at UFC 25, losing a unanimous decision.
Following that loss, ‘The Axe Murderer’ signed with Pride Fighting Championship where he built up his name and became a huge star in combat sports.
24 fights later and having taken on legends like Rampage Jackson, Dan Henderson, and Mirko Cro Cop, Silva then re-signed with the UFC.
However, Silva’s signing announcement resulted in one of the most mortifying moments in UFC history, after Dana White entered the Octagon during UFC 61 to tell the crowd Silva was returning and announced who he would fight upon his return.
“Alright, I know everyone’s a little p—– off right now, maybe I can cheer you up a little bit. Wanderlei Silva has something he wants to say to you,” White said as he entered the cage during the event.
“Thanks a lot, Mr Dana White for the opportunity to come in here and talk with my fans here in the United States, I’m very happy. My job is to fight against the best fighters in the world, for this, I am coming here tonight,” Wanderlei began his statement.
“I want to f—, I want to fight with Chuck (Liddell) here, f—, Chuck,” Silva continued as he mixed up his words in an embarrassing moment.
Silva went on to lose against Liddell in Fight of the Night
Fortunately for the fans, the fight went ahead despite the fact that Chuck Liddell went on to lose two fights in a row against Rampage Jackson and Keith Jardine.
The two clashed at UFC 79 and ‘The Iceman’ went on to win the fight via unanimous decision in what was awarded Fight of the Night.
Following the fight, Silva sent a heartfelt message to his fans, promising that he would bounce back in his next fight and showcase exactly why the UFC signed him.
He did just that by knocking out Jardine in just 36 seconds, scoring one of the most devastating knockouts ever.