Thiago Silva | Source: MMAWeekly.com
Just a few days ahead of his return to the cage after a year-long absence due to injury, Brazilian light heavyweight contender Thiago Silva spoke with Tapology’s Steven Kelliher through a translator about his origins in the sport.
While Silva is not the first mixed martial arts fighter to find success without the support of his family, he is unique in that it was actually this lack of support that facilitated his beginnings in the sport.
“My parents didn’t support me in what I wanted to do or what my goals were at the age of 13,” Silva said, adding, “so I Ieft home and lived in the Favelas of Sao Paulo. From that experience, I knew I had to make something of myself so I could get out of the Favelas and never return there.”
Living in the shanty towns of one of the largest cities in Brazil for years, Silva was affected greatly; however, he never lost sight of who he was. In fact, it was an acute desire to realize an identity for himself outside of the influence of his environment that lead him down the martial path.
“I think [what lead me to fight] was seeing all of the crazy stuff I saw in the Favelas at such a young age,” Silva said. “It was either I get caught up in it and probably die at an early age or I get out.”
Asked whether or not the memories of a difficult childhood weighed heavily on his shoulders, Silva was contemplative.
“I don’t think it’s a burden, but I know it’s made me who I am,” Silva said. “I take my career very serious; it’s the only thing I know how to do and it has giving me the opportunity to make something of myself.”
That need, a financial and sociological need to win that has driven Silva since his earliest days in the sport has translated to consistent success in the top MMA promotion in the world–the UFC. Since joining the promotion in 2007, Silva has gone 5-2 in one of the most stacked weight classes in the world.
Silva defeated Keith Jardine at UFC 102 in August of 2009 | Source: MMAWeekly.com
Although he holds victories over the likes of Keith Jardine, James Irvin, and Houston Alexander, Silva is not completely satisfied with his current position within the promotion.
“I’m happy with where I’m at, but I won’t be satisfied until I get the belt,” Silva said. “I want to be the best and I will be the best; I will prove it.”
Silva saw a lifestyle in the Favelas of Sao Paulo that he wanted no part of, and he never engaged in the violence that was as much a part of his environment as the cracked concrete of some of Brazil’s poorest neighborhoods. In fact, even as he fights for a living, Silva maintains his belief that he has taken a more peaceful path than many of his peers.
“I don’t consider myself a violent person,” Silva said. “A violent person to me is someone who fights or kills another person for something stupid without thinking of the repercussions of their actions. I have seen it and I don’t want any part of it.
“I don’t think fighting professionally is such a strange contrast. My job is to train and to be prepared to fight when I’m suppose to. After working out, I’m happy and I’m at peace because I just let whatever aggression or stress I had [inside me] out. I enjoy spending my free time with my family and my dogs, watching movies, and playing video games just like everyone else.”
Silva lost his last bout to former champ Rashad Evans by decision | Source: MMAWeekly.com
Violent or not, Silva is a fighter, and he is one of the best in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. To some, fighting is about desire. To Silva, fighting is necessary. Regardless, he feels he was born to do what he is doing.
“Fighting in the Octagon to me is everything: two men in, one man out,” Silva said. “Fighting is a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual challenge between two men, and only the man who is stronger in all of these areas will win.
“I was meant for this because I’m fighting for my livelihood and my family, and I love the challenges this sport offers. It is unlike any other.”
Silva will return to the cage for the first time in 12 months this Saturday night when he takes on Brandon Vera on the main card of UFC 125: Resolution.
