A Simple Guide to Keeping Your Silvas Straight

Anderson Silva and Wanderlei Silva are just two of the Silvas in mixed martial arts. (MMAweekly.com)

If there is a drop of Portuguese blood salsa dancing around in your body, there's a good chance that your last name is either "Silva" or "da Silva." In fact, according to Wikipedia, it's the most common surname in both Portugal and Brazil. Famous Silvas include American jazz bassist Alan Silva, about a million Brazilian soccer players and, of course, the first post courier in Canada, Pedro da Silva, who was once honored with his own 48-cent stamp. 

Considering the popularity of jiu-jitsu, kickboxing and capoeira in Brazil, it's no wonder that there's a veritable panoply of Silvas wreaking havoc in the world of mixed martial arts. There's Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva (31-7-1), Anderson "The Spider" Silva (20-4-0) Paulo "Giant" Silva (2-6-0) and a carnival-style parade of others. Sometimes, it's hard for people to keep them all straight.

Thankfully, there are experts like myself to call upon in such situations, equipped with the keen eyes necessary to point out the subtle nuances that separate one Silva from another. For example, Anderson Silva is black, or at least he's more black than Wanderlei Silva, who is white, or at least more white than Anderson. Also, Wanderlei tends to give opponents terrifying stare downs, while Anderson greets them with a beaming smile - the kind you give someone who has saved your only child from a near drowning.

See how easy that is? It's child's play, really. So with this spirit in mind, here's a quick guide to telling your Silvas apart: Read More at Bodog Nation.

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