Biography
Claudio Henrique da Silva, also known as 'Mineiro' or 'Hannibal', is a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Ricardo Vieira and a mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter. A true globetrotter of the sport, Claudio travelled throughout his native Brazil to train with the very best in the fight game, from Robert Drysdale to Paulo Rezende, Leonardo Vieira and the aforementioned Ricardo. Claudio moved to Europe (2006) as a purple belt and started competing more in MMA, becoming a member of the London Shootfighters professional fighting squad, in 2014 he returned to Brazil to pursue an MMA career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Nicknames: Mineiro as he is called by many, came about due to Silva's beginnings, being raised in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. "Mineiro" is a common adjective to describe one who is of Minas Gerais. The other nickname, "Banheira" (bathtub in Portuguese) is a childhood nickname, attributed on the field, playing football (soccer) with his friends. Claudio would often play a lazy man's game, content in staying close to the goal (and never coming to help the defence line), this style of play is often called Banheira, meaning that the player lives "inside the bathtub", waiting for the warm water to arrive. Claudio also adopted the nickname "Hannibal" for his MMA career. This was a self addressed name used solely inside MMA promotions.