Having failed to fell Chris Weidman in his last two fights, Anderson Silva will look to get back in the win column tonight against Nick Diaz. Diaz, meanwhile, is entering the Octagon after a nearly two-year absence.
UFC 183 should feature a great main event, which will include two stars who have major chips on their respective shoulders.
Neither Silva nor Diaz was shy about expressing his feelings about a variety of different issues in a public forum. They’ve both been pretty active in the days building up to the pay-per-view.
Fighter Comments
One of the biggest questions raised after the sponsorship deal between Reebok and UFC surrounded how certain fighters would respond. Plenty of top stars have established relationships with other companies, so the transition to Reebok gear was bound to be a bit rough early on.
Silva spoke about his reticence to make the switch in an interview with Terra, via MMAjunkie’s Brent Brookhouse and Christian Stein:
I don’t like that idea. When you wear a brand, it needs to be true; there must be a connection. I don’t identify with Reebok at all.
I’ve always worn Nike, even before I had a contract with them. Just because our ties are severed, it doesn’t mean I’ll stop wearing it. It feels true; it’s a brand with which I identify. It’s no use to sport a brand to which I have no relationship.
Although Silva is one of UFC’s biggest stars, he’ll likely have to fall in line once all fighters are instructed to don Reebok in the summer. If any fighter does try to make a stand, though, Silva would be one of the best-positioned to do so.
Going back to the fight itself, one of the major storylines for UFC 183 is how Silva will respond after his last fight ended in such gruesome circumstances.
UFC fans won’t soon forget the image of Silva breaking his leg, and the former champion admitted that while he’s feeling good now, he was initially a little scared to get right back into the swing of things, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times:
“My leg’s good and I’m very excited for the fight. When I go walk to the octagon, it feels like the first time, like my first fight in the UFC.”
Silva said after returning home to Brazil from a lengthy Las Vegas hospital stay that included some physical therapy, he was frightened to test the leg in training.
“How’s your leg?” a coach asked him in Brazil.
“I don’t know,” Silva answered. “I’m scared for training.”
Silva said he saw his friends doing jumping drills and decided to give it a try.
The coach watched Silva’s jumping and pushed him: “Finish, go train, your leg [has] nothing more” to recover from.
It’s impossible to recreate a fight-like atmosphere in a training session. You wouldn’t expect Silva to hold anything back, but he might be a little hesitant early on as he gets used to the Octagon once again.
On the other side, Diaz has always been viewed as more of a heel, to use pro wrestling terminology. He’s very good at eliciting a reaction from the crowd, be it positive or negative—generally negative.
In an interview with Mark Emmons for UFC.com, Diaz spoke about his willingness to play the foil for more popular, well-received fighters.
“I’d rather not be portrayed as an evil villain, but if people want to make me out to be that, and it sells tickets, that’s fine,” he said. “But I do hope people understand that this is just what sells, and not what’s really me. I’m just a mixed-martial artist from Stockton, California. And I’m still here.”
Diaz didn’t ingratiate himself with UFC fans earlier in the week when he skipped out on an open workout:
To make amends, he offered a broad apology to both UFC and the fans on Thursday, per Fox Sports’ Elias Cepeda:
I apologize to all the fans. I didn’t really put too much thought into it. I was just focused on the fight.
I apologize to the UFC … kind of everybody not knowing what was going on with me. It really wasn’t a big deal. I’m going to do what I have to do, and then come and fight.
In the end, if missing out on a public training session put Diaz in a better position to win, few can argue with the strategy. Plus, it allowed UFC President Dana White to have some fun with the situation:
Prediction
Before his leg injury, Silva would’ve likely coasted to victory against Diaz. This matchup presents a style nightmare for Diaz, and his opponent is one of the greatest fighters ever to step into the Octagon.
Silva should be able to dictate the pace of the fight and remain in the middle of the cage. As long as he can remain off the fence, he’ll consistently keep Diaz at bay.
However, as Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Snowden wrote, the Brazilian star has some doubts hovering over his ability going into tonight’s fight:
The truth is, the Anderson Silva we all picture in our heads is the 2008 wrecking machine, the guy who made Chris Leben and Forrest Griffin look like clowns. That guy doesn‘t exist anymore.
Today, Anderson Silva is just a guy trying to piece his shattered career, and his shattered leg, back together. He’s 39. His kids are running around UFC Embedded videos looking like full-grown men for God’s sake.
The gulf between the two is by no means insurmountable from Diaz‘s perspective. If he can tag Silva early with a big blow, this will be a completely different fight.
In the end, Silva should earn a hard-fought victory after the full distance. He’ll be a much lesser version of himself than fans came to expect during his prime, but he’ll still be good enough to topple Diaz.
Final Prediction: Silva by unanimous decision
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com