Dana White Reveals Real Reason Why MMA Legend Anderson Silva Refused to Attend UFC 286

UFC 286 saw Leon Edwards successfully defend his welterweight title after a majority decision win over Kamaru Usman. He silenced his doubters and proved his mettle at the 02 Arena in London. Moreover, UFC announced the induction of Anderson Silva into the Hall of Fame. But ‘The Spider’ was nowhere to be seen during the announcement at the pay-per-view.

Anderson Silva is arguably one of the greatest fighters to step inside the octagon. He recorded 34 wins and 11 losses in his entire MMA career. Silva also holds the record for the longest winning streak in UFC with 16 wins, which spanned from 2006 to 2013. He finally found his rightful place in the Hall of Fame after becoming one of the unique and notable fighters in the history of mixed martial arts.

Silva holds another record in which he is the longest reigning UFC champion after he held the middleweight title for 2457 days. Since his retirement from MMA, ‘The Spider’ had been busy engaging in boxing bouts. One of those fights recently took place. He recently fought YouTuber Jake Paul, which he lost. The Brazilian’s notable absence was not for a lack of invitation initiated by the UFC head honcho.

Anderson Silva wasn’t present during his HOF announcement

An unusual incident took place at UFC 286 after UFC president Dana White claimed that Silva was nowhere to be found during the announcement. He could not attend the event due to some unknown reasons. However, the UFC went on to announce the induction, anyway. MMA reporter Aaron Bronsteter wrote on Twitter: “[Dana] White says that Anderson Silva was invited to tonight’s event for his Hall of Fame announcement, but he wasn’t available to attend.”

UFC aired a jaw-dropping 4-minute tribute to the former champion that highlighted some of the best moments from Anderson Silva’s career. However, as the reports suggest, the Brazilian ace was not there to witness the montage at UFC 286 in London.

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It may not come as a surprise to many MMA fans since the community is aware of the beef between ‘The Spider’ and the UFC boss. Silva has aired his opinion on Dana White multiple times. He even went off on the 53-year-old promoter after he was prohibited from ever fighting in the UFC again. However, there are no further explanations or details and only mere speculations about the incident. Anderson Silva deserves his spot in the UFC’s Hall of Fame after a historic career that spanned over 23 years.

What are your thoughts on Anderson Silva’s absence from UFC 286? Let us know in the comments below.

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