Anderson Silva has changed the landscape of MMA before, and at UFC 148, he vows to change it again.
You’ve heard it by now. Silva’s tirade on the UFC 148 conference call is splattered on every website and blog that remotely covers MMA, and it’s been the talk of the MMA world.
But of all the physical threats Silva made to Chael Sonnen during that call, there was one quote that stood out. That quote reads: “What I’m going to do inside the Octagon is going to change the image of the sport.”
Instant reaction to that statement is naturally to question such an outlandish statement, but if you recall, he’s changed it before.
What’s the last highlight in the UFC’s opening package on every pay-per-view? It’s Silva’s front kick that he landed on Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. Ever since that moment, at least three front kicks are thrown every fight night.
So what could he possibly have in store for Sonnen? As Silva said himself, the games are over, so what could this statement mean if it’s not just a tactic to get inside Sonnen’s head?
Quite possibly, Silva has learned a new move that he’s ready to unveil to the world and demonstrate on his greatest adversary. It’s almost like he’s Batman ready to show off one of his new gadgets against a man who’s already pushed him to his physical limits.
And though the UFC playfully turned Silva and Sonnen into comic-book characters, buying Silva as a real-life superhero is just as believable as Steven Seagal inventing the front kick. Mastering it is, of course, what I meant by saying that.
It surely would explain Silva’s Matrix-like moves against Forrest Griffin at UFC 101 and his Super Saiyan-esque performance against Yushin Okami in his last bout.
Seriously, there’s no other fighter than Silva that would just stand there and lift his arm slowly while gauging his opponents eyes. It was the stare of death followed by an eventual short right hook that would send Okami to the canvas.
So with all of the memorable highlights that Silva has displayed for years inside of the Octagon, the possibilities are virtually endless for Silva to change the image of the sport yet again.
After watching every fight he’s had inside the Octagon, Silva pulling off a move that fans have never seen before really isn’t that far-fetched. It’s almost come to the point where it’s expected.
And after Silva has went on record to say he was going to change the image of the sport at UFC 148, expect the unexpected in the main event. Though it may be cliche, it’s the truth.
Don’t blink come fight time, because you just might miss a new revelation.
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