Silva has said on numerous occasions that he believes long-time friend and former UFC Lightweight Champion and UFC Welterweight Champion B.J. Penn to be the greatest pound-for-pound fighter in the history of the sport.
Silva har sagt ved adskillige lejligheder at han mener at hans langtidige ven og tidligere UFC-letvægt-og-weltervægt-mester B.J. Penn er den bedste pound-for-pound-kæmper i sporens historie.