Anderson Silva vs Thales Leites — Fight recap

Anderson Silva defeated Thales Leites by unanimous decision over five rounds at UFC 97 on April 18, 2009. Silva's striking dominance proved decisive, landing 94 of 139 significant strikes (67%) while Leites managed only 10 of 54 (18%), a stark efficiency gap that defined the bout.

Silva's leg kicks were particularly effective, connecting on 51 of 57 attempts, systematically breaking down Leites's mobility throughout the fight. Though neither fighter attempted takedowns, Silva's control time of 2:44 slightly edged Leites's 2:38, and the middleweight champion's superior striking accuracy across all ranges—35 head strikes and 8 body strikes—secured all three judges' scorecards.

Leites's wrestling proved ineffective, converting just 1 of 14 takedown attempts at 7%, leaving him unable to disrupt Silva's striking game plan. The performance reinforced Silva's technical superiority in the division despite criticism for his showboating tendencies in previous fights.