The biggest fight of 2015, on nearly every kind of scale one imagines, is probably Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier. After that, it’s Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz.
It wasn’t always this way, of course. But then Jones and Cormier slugged it out in the lobby in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. After that, the pair were everywhere: SportsCenter, your local news, your local pub. Everyone talked about Jones and Cormier engaging in fisticuffs. Everyone pretended to hate it, but secretly they loved it, and secretly they could not wait to see the fight.
That fight was supposed to take place at UFC 178 next week. It’s not happening because Jones was injured in training by Alistair Overeem. This knowledge makes me and everyone else I know a little bit sad.
Make no mistake about it: UFC 178 is still the most stacked card in recent UFC memory. Any fight card with Donald Cerrone taking on Eddie Alvarez is going to have my rapt attention. But Jones/Cormier would’ve been the perfect way to cap off the night.
But it isn’t happening. Instead, it moves to January 3, which means Silva vs. Diaz—once considered a revelation of a fight and perhaps the most sublime piece of UFC matchmaking in years—is now relegated to second place. That’s not a bad place to be, all things considered, and it’s still a fight we’re all looking forward to.
The truth is that I’m not sure I’m looking forward to it as much as I did when it was announced. Part of that is because I’m not even sure Diaz will be in the Octagon when the door closes on January 31. He was arrested last week on suspicion of DUI, obstructing a police officer, destruction of evidence and driving with a suspended license. And according to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Diaz also did something only Diaz could do:
And so Diaz might not be able to show up on January 31, because he might be sitting in jail. But even if he does, I don’t think he’s going to have a good night. Because Anderson Silva might be getting old and he might be trending downward, but he’s still Anderson Silva.
And though Diaz is consistently one of the most entertaining fighters in the world—and a personal favorite of mine to cover—there is no question that his “move forward at all costs” style will play directly into Silva’s hands.
It is very much like the time Diaz faced Carlos Condit. Diaz played the aggressor, but Condit was smart enough to sit back and counterstrike and score points. The difference with Silva is that, when Diaz moves forward, Silva is going to knock him out. I don’t see Diaz lasting past the second round.
It’s not a foregone conclusion, but it is close to one. What is next in line for Silva after the win? Does he move back into title contention?
He says he has no desire to compete for a championship again, and perhaps he’s telling the truth. Silva’s career and interviews have been a riddle, however; you never really know if he’s giving it to you straight, or if he’s just having a little fun at your expense. Perhaps he has no desire to face Chris Weidman again. As much as I’d like to see that fight one more time (because I believe the first two fights didn’t properly satisfy), I understand if he has no desire to go 0-3 against a very good middleweight champion.
So here’s what I propose: Silva beats Diaz, then moves up to light heavyweight. He faces Rashad Evans in a title eliminator fight. If he beats Evans, he faces the winner of the Jon Jones/Daniel Cormier/Alexander Gustafsson/Anthony Johnson scramble. I’d like to see Silva against any and all of those names, Evans included.
Jones vs. Silva still has a ring to it. Cormier vs. Silva? A fantastic matchup.
I wouldn’t mind seeing Silva go for his old middleweight crown again. But I think I’d rather see him face new challenges at this point. And what better challenges await than an entirely new weight class? What better way to cement his legacy as the best fighter in the history of the sport than by moving up and facing the best light heavyweight has to offer?
I like it. I want to see it. And I hope it happens.
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