Anderson Silva had the most dominant run in UFC middleweight history, finishing with 16 straight wins, 10 title defenses, and a 2,457-day championship reign. Although Dana White helped guide him through that unprecedented run, Silva still refuses to pick up the phone for the UFC CEO nearly six years after leaving the company.
White confirmed the rift during an interview ahead of UFC Freedom 250. He explained that the silence began when he decided to release Silva following a string of losses late in the fighter’s career.
When White told Silva his time in the UFC was over, Silva responded, “Who are you to tell me that I’m done doing what I love to do?” That exchange was the breaking point, though it appears White still misses having one of the most decorated fighters in his promotion.
Anderson Silva’s Collapse and Final Chapter Dana White Wanted to Erase
The Brazilian star’s final years in the promotion were too difficult to digest, given his extraordinary record. After going 1-7 with one no-contest over his final nine bouts, the UFC released him in Nov. 2020.
The Brazilian star’s final years in the promotion stood in stark contrast to his 16-fight winning streak from 2006 to 2013. After a 1-7 run with one no-contest over his final nine bouts, the UFC released him in November 2020.
His slump began at UFC 162 against undefeated wrestler Chris Weidman. In their immediate rematch at UFC 168, Weidman targeted the former champion’s leg so much that it forced a grueling year-long recovery. Their historic rivalry was scheduled to turn into a trilogy in the boxing ring years later, but the third fight never happened after Weidman pulled out with a training injury.
Silva eventually lost subsequent fights to Michael Bisping, Daniel Cormier, Israel Adesanya, and Jared Cannonier. His final Octagon appearance came on October 31, 2020, when Uriah Hall won by fourth-round TKO at the UFC APEX.
White didn’t wait for the dust to settle before pushing for retirement. At the post-fight press conference, White called his decision to book the match a mistake made out of respect for the former champion, stating, “Anderson Silva should never fight again.”
Silva disagreed and later told Chael Sonnen that White had asked him to sign paperwork confirming the Hall matchup would be his last UFC appearance. Silva refused to let the promotion dictate his future, telling management they could not legally prevent him from competing elsewhere once his contract ended.
Dana White Reveals Full Story and Why Some Legends Never Forgive Him
And that was likely the time when the relationship between the UFC boss and “The Spider” turned cold and was never fixed. During his interview with Rolling Stone, White explained why aging athletes struggle to walk away and why the grudge became personal:
“One more paycheck. Let me get one more paycheck,” he said. “I’m like, yeah, it’s time for them to hang it up. They get mad and they get upset. And you know, some of these guys never talked to me again. Anderson Silva, you know, he was always a unique individual to deal with, but he lost like eight or nine or 10 in a row, something like that.”
Dana White says Anderson Silva still won’t speak to him after being released from the UFC 😬
“He lost like 9 or 10 in a row. I told him it’s over. He can still fight, you just can’t do it here.”
(via @RollingStone) pic.twitter.com/9OpmYZS6TK
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) May 27, 2026
He added, “That guy won’t talk to me to this day because I said it’s over. And he was in his forties. His thing was, ‘Who are you to tell me that I’m done doing what I love to do?’ He went and fought a boxing match and he fought a bunch of other fights. He can still fight. You just can’t do it here.”
It’s a cold distinction. White was basically saying the UFC was done with him. But Silva proved that point by beating Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. in boxing and knocking out Tito Ortiz in under 90 seconds after leaving the promotion.
The pattern White described has also affected Chuck Liddell, B.J. Penn, and Wanderlei Silva. All of them damaged their records by taking late-career fights past their primes. The core issue is not whether White’s assessment of the Brazilian star was accurate, but whether releasing a legendary competitor without a proper farewell is the right way to treat a foundational figure.
White ran a business. Silva was living out an identity. Both were right in their own lane and that’s precisely why neither one has blinked.
