MMA Roots: Anderson Silva and his steadfast love for the police

A video of former Ultimate Fighting Championship middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva being introduced at a Beverly Hills Police Department training course surfaced on March 12 and went viral. Those who follow the Brazilian—who holds citizenship in the United States and has resided in southern California since 2019—know that he has stated his desire to serve the country that has given much to him. “I need to give something back to the United States,” Silva said, providing some insight as to why he was focused on becoming a police officer at the age of 50.

What many fans may not know is that his interest in law enforcement was born long before MMA. In fact, it originates from his childhood. As shown in the five-episode series “Anderson The Spider Silva,” available on Paramount+, Silva was raised by his aunt and uncle, Edith and Benedito.

His uncle was a police officer and served as his greatest role model. Silva always made it clear that the discipline passed onto him from Benedito was a differentiating factor in his martial arts training. In one of the most memorable scenes of the series, Uncle “Bene”—portrayed by Brazilian singer Seu Jorge—makes Silva fix hundreds of bent nails as a form of punishment for engaging in a street fight.

However, it was Silva’s talent for hand-to-hand combat and the need to provide for his pregnant girlfriend that led him down the path to professional prizefighting and away from his dream of becoming a police officer. Another episode featured Silva’s admiration for the police. Right after he became undisputed middleweight champion with his rout of Rich Franklin at UFC 64, “The Spider” spoke to the crowd in Portuguese: “Never will they be!