Issue 049
May 2009
Known by his legions of fans as ‘The Axe Murderer’, Wanderlei Silva may be a beast in the ring, but outside of it he is an amiable, simple character, devoted to his family and to his faith.
His most famous tattoo is at times his most prominent, but sometimes nowhere to be seen. The tribal mark on the back of his skull was his only tattoo for many years, and was only ever seen when Silva would shave his head for a fight. He shares the tattoo with his old trainer, Chute Boxe’s Raphael Cordeiro.
Fans have often wondered what the writing on his chest and arms mean. Contrary to popular belief, they do not translate as “If you can read this, I can kick your ass”, but are in fact religious phrases, evidence of Silva’s deep commitment to his Catholic faith.
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