Wanderlei Silva was one of my favorite fighters back when he was a young Chute Boxe demolition man cleaving his way through anyone and everyone in the Pride ring, and he remains among the top of my list still today because of the humble and mature manner he's always carried himself with. I wouldn't quite categorize him with Randy Couture, but Wand has won my respect by being a true "Axe Murderer" when he fights as well as a consummate sportsman and teammate outside of the ring.
This video follows Silva and Team Wand as they prepare an amateur fighter for the Tuff-N-Uff show at The Orleans in Vegas, but listening to Wand reflecting back on his career and reliving the physical and mental trials he went through was the real focal point for me. Silva reminisces about having to work several other jobs while fighting, the importance of persisting in your dream, starting his own event someday, and the experience of his first Vale Tudo fight in Brazil.
