Sport Communication Strategies in Anderson Silva's Career: Identity and Branding

Anderson Silva, recognized by the UFC as the best fighter in the world from 2006 to 2013, played a crucial role in popularizing MMA in Brazil. His professional trajectory is marked by communication strategies focused on developing his brand and identity. This paper’s main objective analyzes sports communication strategies in Anderson Silva’s career, emphasizing the concepts of identity and branding related to the context of MMA, especially UFC. The methodology employed included a qualitative approach grounded in narrative research. The results revealed that these strategies not only boosted Anderson Silva’s personal brand but also that of the UFC in Brazil. They also raise reflections on the importance of the fighter being measured by his capacity to generate business, or even the disproportionate relationship of forces between athletes and the UFC, to define commercial strategies, making fighters submit to decisions that benefit the company to the detriment of their own well-being.