Which UFC champion was nicknamed “The Spider”?

Anderson Silva was the UFC champion nicknamed “The Spider.”

Silva held the UFC middleweight championship from 2006 to 2013, making 10 successful defenses during his reign. He won the belt by defeating Rich Franklin at UFC 64 and became known for his creative striking, counterattacks, and movement.

The nickname “The Spider” was associated with Silva before and throughout his UFC career. It is sometimes confused with the nicknames of other Brazilian fighters, especially because Brazil produced many prominent UFC champions in the same era.

Silva’s reign included victories over Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, and Yushin Okami. Chris Weidman ended the reign at UFC 162 in 2013. Silva later competed at light heavyweight and in boxing, but his defining UFC championship period was at middleweight.