Gabriel Silva, the 20-year-old son of mixed martial arts legend Anderson Silva, is following in his father’s footsteps. Over the weekend, Gabriel made his Muay Thai debut against Nick Navarro at WCK 35 in California. The son of the former UFC champion showed off some impressive quickness en route to a second-round TKO victory.
Following Gabriel’s win, “The Spider” took to social media to congratulate his son on his performance and the beginning of his new career.
Anderson Silva shared video of the first round of the fight which showed Gabriel scoring two quick knockdowns.
“I’m very proud,” Silva wrote in a post on Instagram, as translated by MMA Fighting. “I saw a lot of me in you today. I’m happy, and think that the certainty that I can really stop really is closer. Love you, my son. Bad Boys.” He had added earlier, “Now it’s focus, keep training hard, the secret is to always do it for love.”
Gabriel also shared his victory on social media, sharing some slow-motion highlights of his big win.
“I will remember this night for the rest of my life,” he wrote. “I’ve learned a lot from it, and I will continue to grow. WE’RE GOING FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS.”
It will be exciting to see what the future holds for Gabriel as he continues to develop throughout his career.
His father, meanwhile, is currently recovering from a leg injury suffered in a UFC 237 loss to Jared Cannonier on May 14. Silva has been “suspended 180 days or until cleared by an orthopedic doctor following right knee MRI; minimum suspension of 45 days with 30 days of no contact” by the Brazilian Athletic Commission, Comissao Atletica Brasileira de MMA (CABMMA).
