Anderson Silva Lands Coveted VEJA Cover in Brazil

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Two weeks before MMA moves front and center with the March 25 premier of “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil” on Rede Globo, Anderson Silva has landed on the cover of VEJA, Brazil’s biggest magazine, as part of a feature story on the UFC middleweight champion and the growth of mixed martial arts in his homeland.

Entitled “The quiet gladiator: Anderson Silva, the Brazilian champion of martial arts, is the biggest star in the fastest-growing sport in the world, despite the violence -- or because of it,” the story covers 10 pages. It attempts to explain UFC rules to the general public, along with outlining why Silva has become one of MMA’s transcendent fighters.

Besides mentioning the Silva documentary “Like Water,” which premiered in Brazil last week, the report also makes statistical comparisons between “The Spider” and boxing legend Muhammad Ali. In addition, it brings to light the success of two other Brazilian UFC champions, Junior dos Santos and Jose Aldo, and introduces the concept of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series.

Abril Publishing House prints 1,218,000 copies of VEJA every Friday, 926,800 of them going to subscribers. The magazine averages 150 pages per issue.

Ultimate Fighting Championship representatives -- including UFC President Dana White, former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort and Brazilian icon Wanderlei Silva -- will visit Brazil on Tuesday to promote “The Ultimate Fighter: Brazil.” Belfort and Silva will coach opposite one another during the season, the cast for which was unveiled on Monday.