Former Pride middleweight champion and MMA legend, Wanderlei Silva, hardly needs an introduction. For years, Silva’s ferocious reputation has followed him around like a shadow in the dark. Although he has the ability to strike fear in the hearts of men, he recently served as a source of inspiration for one young boy whom doctors said has all but lost an un-winnable battle with cancer.

Just in his early teens, the boy’s family contacted Silva’s management and sadly informed the former Pride champion that their child is dying of cancer. With just days left to live, the boy told his parents that one of his last wishes was to meet his hero; Silva. Upon hearing the news, Silva unselfishly agreed to fly ten hours (five hours each way) in a single day to visit the boy at his bedside. Silva scheduled the flight out of Las Vegas at 6:00 a.m. the morning after this interview, despite being told that there was a good chance that the boy may be in a coma by the time he arrived.

“He has cancer,” said Silva. “He’s going to die. He’s in the hospital. I’m going there to talk to him because he likes my job and he likes me. I’m going to talk to him and give him a few seconds of happy moments; for him. I’m going there to talk to his family because when you die, you die; you’re finished if you have God in your heart. But the family, they will be staying here, so I go to support the family and to talk to him.”

The young boy’s tragic story puts into perspective what truly matters in life. A loving father himself, Silva not only saw the unfortunate scenario as an opportunity to fulfill the dreams of a single young fan, but also as a point of reflection in his own life, and the chance to grow spiritually.
“I know tomorrow God is going to give me a great lesson again about life. A lot of guys talk about having a hard job, or they don’t have money today, or they lose their girl (friend), but this means nothing seeing the problems that other people have. Imagine the daddy and the mom of the guy; I have a daughter the same age. They’re just children, they have lived nothing.”

“Imagine, he’s going to die; he knows; everybody knows. There’s no help, just a miracle. I’m going to talk about God to him and to his family; to give him a few moments of happiness. I know tomorrow God is going to give me a great lesson with this.”

Silva said he will use the experience as motivation for his upcoming fight against former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 99 at the Lanxess Arena in Cologne, Germany. Knowing that the fight against Franklin has the potential to be a three-round slugfest, Silva said he is prepared for a possible full distance scrap.

“It’s a very good match for me. He’s a very tough fighter; he likes to fight stand-up. It’s very good for me because I like to fight stand-up too. He’s not afraid to fight.”

Accustomed to fighting at light heavyweight, Silva believes that the 195lbs catch weight bout will work to his advantage.

“It’s good for me because when I was at 185 I had to cut more weight. 195 to me is perfect because right now I’m at 212-215, so 195 is perfect for me.”

The bout will mark the first time that the UFC has held an event on German soil. Silva candidly said that the debut of the organization in mainland Europe puts an added touch of pressure heading into the fight.

“It’s great because I have my first main event. It’s a lot of responsibility because everybody will be waiting for the main event. I want to close the main event with a great fight. The guys put a lot of money for the promotion and for the event, so you need to respect the fans, the boss, and give a good show,” said Silva.

Well known for his explosive performances and abbreviated finishes, Silva’s anticipates that he will utilize his experience advantage over Franklin while staying true to his savage form.

“I don’t worry about myself; I like to give my best. Sometimes I lose my fights because I fight with my heart in front of my technique. Sometimes I’m not waiting; I’m going, going, going and then lose. I love to fight with that style because my fans understand my style. I am prepared for the great moment that is going to come in the future for me.”

Meanwhile, Franklin controversially lost his last bout against MMA vet Dan Henderson at UFC 93 earlier this year. Although Franklin dropped the win, Silva does not underestimate his well seasoned opponent. Franklin’s performance against Henderson proves that Silva will have an incredibly tough task ahead of him during his UFC main event debut.

“I watched that fight. I don’t know if he lost or not. The judges gave the split decision two-one and the decision for Henderson, but if they gave the decision for Franklin, that would’ve been OK too. I think it was a draw.”

Outside of the octagon, Silva spends a large portion of his time at his recently opened Las Vegas based training center. The facility represents a lifelong achievement for Silva.

“This is not just one gym; this is my dream. I’ve been training my whole life, but this is my first gym. I have the best in the world; the best equipment and the best octagon. I have money from my whole life to make this and now I have a good gym here. I want to open my next gym in Canada.”

Silva used his new facility as a platform to settle the escalated feud with former WEC middleweight champion Paulo Filho. The two Brazilians were highly critical of each other in the media, however, Silva said he has put any ill feelings toward Filho aside, and is looking forward to establishing a positive relationship in the future.

“I invited him to train here because my gym is a professional gym,” said Silva. “I want guys to have the best place and get in the best condition of their career. I am here to help everybody to come and to stay at the top. They need to come here because it’s a professional gym.”

“He’s a good fighter. I’ve never talked with him face to face, just through interviews. He’s a great fighter who’s going through a hard moment in his life. I know he’s going to be back at the top in the future.”