Author: Nedu Obi

Anderson Silva: What if the Unthinkable Happened at UFC 134?

On August 27th in the main event, in Rio, Brazil, Anderson “The Spider” Silva will lock horns with the last man to defeat him: Yushin “Thunder” Okami, for the UFC middleweight championship.Anderson Silva has been undefeated in 1…

On August 27th in the main event, in Rio, Brazil, Anderson “The Spider” Silva will lock horns with the last man to defeat him: Yushin “Thunder” Okami, for the UFC middleweight championship.

Anderson Silva has been undefeated in 14 fights since that fateful and controversial night at Rumble on the Rock 8. 

Yushin Okami on the other hand has won his last three encounters.  The only blemish on his record prior to those three wins was his loss to Chael Sonnen via unanimous decision.

In a sense, Anderson Silva has nothing to prove to anyone, but himself. 

Even though, the loss to Okami was via disqualification.  Anderson, I believe wants to prove that what happened that night was an aberration.

Anderson wants to successfully defend his belt, but most of all, I guess he wants redemption.  “The Spider” probably wants to put on a great show for the Brazilian fateful, which is understandable.  And in doing so try and decimate Okami in the process.

Yushin Okami just wants the belt placed around his waist?  Or maybe he wants to usurp Anderson Silva’s belt in a dramatic fashion? 

Okami has been training with Chael Sonnen in the wrestling and takedown department.  And must be hoping that what learning he’s acquired will suffice to neuter the threat that is Anderson Silva?

I’ll get to the crux of the matter:

What if the unthinkable happened?

Okami from the outset doesn’t give Anderson his normal one minute or so feeling out period, and immediately goes in for the takedowns.  Okami continues to secure relevant takedowns throughout the fight. 

At that point it’s more than likely that he’ll gain top position.  And from that position he could attempt one of two things: lay and pray his way to victory or try and earn the victory via ground and pound. 

Both scenarios are dangerous for Okami, because Anderson is more or less a wizard when he fights off his back and Okami could be submitted. 

Food for thought: It could happen.

Yushin Okami nullifies Anderson’s Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai and every other weapon “The Spider” has in his arsenal.  That sounds like wishful thinking.  It probably is. 

But in one moment of unmitigated glory, Yushin Okami connects flush to the chin of Anderson Silva with a Hail Mary punch for the ages? Knocking out, “The Spider”.

These are the unthinkable, the unfathomable.  But what if it did happen?

I for one don’t believe the unthinkable will happened come UFC 134.  But if by some divine intervention it did happen, especially if Yushin Okami secured the victory via KO/TKO.  Anderson Silva’s aura and air of invincibility would be gone forever.

Remember this is all hypothetical.

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UFC 134: Will Anderson Silva Yield Once Again to His Achilles Heel?

Anderson “The Spider” Silva is the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s ultimate fighting machine. In his 34 fight MMA career, “The Spider” has only ever been dismantled by four men; one Brazilian and three combatants from Jap…

Anderson “The Spider” Silva is the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s ultimate fighting machine. In his 34 fight MMA career, “The Spider” has only ever been dismantled by four men; one Brazilian and three combatants from Japan.

Let’s say, for arguments sake, that Brazilian Luiz Azeredo is removed from the equation. What becomes abundantly clear is that Anderson Silva’s last three losses have all been against Japanese opposition, two by submission and one via disqualification.

Daiju Takase finished Silva via Triangle Choke and Ryo Chonan submitted him by way of one of the most amazingly preposterous and intrepid moves to have ever been witnessed in an MMA tournament, the Flying Scissor Heel Hook.

His last loss, against Yushi “The Thunder” Okami, was a loss by default. Even though Anderson vehemently stated that the rules had not been accurately elucidated to him before the fight, the fact remains that Anderson lost the fight after illegally kicking Okami’s chin. Whether by default or not, he lost and that’s what the record books will show.

As far as the UFC and the middleweight division go, his feats are unparalleled. Will the enigmatic and superlative Anderson Silva avenge his last loss to Okami at UFC 134 in Rio Brazil, or will history repeat itself? On a more significant note, will he finally lay to rest the rumors that he has a weakness when pitted against fighters from the Land of the Rising Sun?

It is worth noting that “The Spider” is more than five and half years removed from his last loss in all competitions. However, during the intervening years he has grown as a fighter and evolved into arguably the greatest mixed martial artist of all time.

That being said, “The Spider” has had three bad days at the Japanese office to date. And on any given day, any given athlete can have a bad day.

Analysts and fans alike or not privy to what goes on in a fighters mind prior to a fight. As Muhammad Ali once said, “The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses – behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights”.

So does Anderson have some sort of mental barrier going into this fight against Okami, given that his last three losses have been against Japanese fighters?  Will Silva put pressure on himself, knowing that he is fighting in front of his home crowd? If this is the case, then Yushin Okami has an even better chance of dethroning “The Spider”.

From a subjective point of view, I think Anderson Silva will be thirsty to avenge his prior loss and set the record straight.

I have “The Spider” winning in an emphatic manner via KO/TKO strikes.

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Anderson Silva: The Rise of ‘The Spider’ and His 13-Win Streak in the UFC

Anderson “The Spider” Silva is on a 13-fight winning streak in the UFC: 8 coming by way of KO/TKO. 3 by way of Submission. 2 by Unanimous Decision. To date he has successfully defended his UFC middleweight title a record eight times. The on…

Anderson “The Spider” Silva is on a 13-fight winning streak in the UFC:

8 coming by way of KO/TKO.

3 by way of Submission.

2 by Unanimous Decision.

To date he has successfully defended his UFC middleweight title a record eight times. The only fighter to even come close to that record is current UFC welterweight champion George St. Pierre; who has successfully defended his title six times.

“The Spider” has won eight Fight Bonuses, more than any other fighter in the UFC, save for Chris “Lights Out” Lytle, with whom he shares the record.

Silva’s UFC Fight Bonuses: Knockout of the night; Rich Franklin, Fight and Submission of the night; Dan Henderson, Fight and Knockout of the night; Forrest Griffin, Fight and Submission of the night; Chael Sonnen and Knockout of the night; Vitor Belfort.

“The Spider” is set to defend his title for a record ninth time when he throws down with Yushin “Thunder” Okami on Aug. 27 at UFC 134 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Okami is the same fighter who defeated Anderson Silva via disqualification.

That was more than five years ago at Rumble on the Rock 8. Yushin Okami won the fight by default; whilst Okami secured top position, Silva struck Okami with an up kick to his chin (temporarily rendering him unconscious) that was deemed to be illegal. And that was the reason for his disqualification.

For Anderson “The Spider” Silva; UFC 134 is all about Revenge, Resolution, but most of all; Redemption.

The indomitable Anderson Silva is indubitably, pound for pound the greatest mixed martial artist of his aeon.

He has dominated his contemporaries and destroyed his peers, and in doing so, has achieved both an iconic and venerated status amongst the aforementioned.

His pre-eminence is admired by the fans as well, whether they love him or despise him.

Since his debut in the UFC, no fighter yet has deciphered the enigma that is Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

Let’s take a look at his 13 hits:

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Chael Sonnen: Established MMA Practitioner or PR Guru in the Making?

There is no denying that Chael Sonnen is the undisputed king of MMA smack magniloquence and he uses every opportunity to let us know.
To some he might come across as a funny and intellectually astute guy, to others, he goes beyond what is morally …

There is no denying that Chael Sonnen is the undisputed king of MMA smack magniloquence and he uses every opportunity to let us know.

To some he might come across as a funny and intellectually astute guy, to others, he goes beyond what is morally and ethically acceptable; and in doing so, has exasperated quite a few people along the way with his excoriating comments, none more so than Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva and the Nogueira brothers—Antonio Rodrigo and Antonio Rogerio.

Most recently he found himself in hot water after being reproached by a Brazilian reporter. Even that wasn’t enough to curtail the motor mouth that is Chael Sonnen; he was unrelenting and unapologetic.

So what’s behind the trash talk from the self-styled “American Gangster”? One can only surmise that he craves the publicity that for so long has evaded him or maybe he just likes the sound of his own voice?

Either way, Sonnen is a master publicist. Where other MMA fighters might fail in their oratory skills or lack thereof, Chael shines like a beacon. His WWE style of smack-talking inevitably puts bums on seats and I’m sure this hasn’t gone unnoticed by the UFC hierarchy.

Sonnen, in all honesty, is a talented enough fighter. That was proven when he threw down with arguably the best mixed martial artist in the world: Anderson Silva.

He was seconds away from being crowned the new middleweight champion of the world when “The Spider” spun his web in the guise of a triangle choke, and Chael had no alternative but to tap out. But prior to that, he had controlled the fight in its entirety and in doing so had given Silva one of, if not, the worst beating/s of his MMA career.

Chael’s mixed martial arts record reads: 25 wins, 11 losses and one draw. Of those 25 wins, he has amassed 15 decision wins, most notably against the likes of Yushin Okami, Nate Marquardt and Jason Miller.

Almost entirely, his losses have been more akin to one glaring error; his inability or lack thereof, defending submissions. Submissions being more or less his Achilles heel have lead to eight of his 11 defeats, which have come by way of triangle choke, arm bar and one guillotine choke.  

That being said, he has been rated by Sherdog as the No. 2 middleweight in the world, that must count for something or does it? Nevertheless, he is due to take on ex-marine Brian Stann at UFC 136.

So would Chael be better served as a rhetorician for the UFC or MMA in general? Or should he just stick to fighting?

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Dana White: Should He Quietly Fade into the Background?

I think it’s time that Dana White ceased to be at the forefront of the UFC, as well as its spokesperson, and dissipate into the abyss or background (or whatever you want to call it).
It has been two weeks since Fedor “The Last Emperor&rdquo…

I think it’s time that Dana White ceased to be at the forefront of the UFC, as well as its spokesperson, and dissipate into the abyss or background (or whatever you want to call it).

It has been two weeks since Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko lost his third fight in a row, courtesy of Dan Henderson’s H-Bomb.

But what followed after the former Pride heavyweight champion’s demise at the hands of Henderson was a litany of insults from none other than the UFC supremo himself, Dana White.

Talk about kicking a man when he’s down—that would be an understatement. Not only did White subject Emelianenko to a humiliating vituperation, he also fired him from his newly acquired company called Strikeforce. Talk about adding salt to the injury.

Emelianenko isn’t the first fighter and most definitely won’t be the last to feel the acid tongue of Mr. White. White doesn’t keep his rancid wrath for solely the fighters—anyone and anybody he does agree with or doesn’t agree with soon finds out what a foul-mouthed, profanity prone individual he is—fans included.

This man is the president of the biggest and most lucrative MMA organization in the world. And how does he act? Like a buffoon.

Let’s be honest—this man has no class. Sometimes he comes across as a joke, and he lacks a lot in the decorum department to boot. It seems like he has a good business acumen and a gift of the gab, but that’s about all the credit I’m willing to give this man.

He reminds me of the British promoter Frank Warren. They could be twins in the way their behaviors mirror one another. If a boxer isn’t signed with Warren’s promotion or has decided to jump ship with another promoter or manager, he has little or no time for that fighter. And what ensues is a torrent of abusive and derogatory comments heaped upon those fighters (which he’s allowed to spew in his weekly newspaper column). In my opinion, this sort of conduct is totally and utterly unacceptable.

And the same demeanor applies to Dana White. His latest outburst was, basically, “Having your promotion carried by Fedor is like having your promotion carried by Kimbo Slice.” Regardless of what Fedor Emelianenko has or hasn’t achieved in MMA (until his three straight losses, it should be noted that Fedor has had a stellar career), that was no way to speak about a fighter who most recently fought under his latest acquisition.

And the same could be said of Kimbo Slice. White used Kimbo’s Internet notoriety to push the ratings up, via the sale of PPVs in some of the UFC shows. And yet he now refers to Kimbo as something the cat dragged in, then dragged back out again. Aspersions of fighters, MMA or otherwise, in general is uncalled for.

I have no idea where this vitriol stems from. Was he a failed MMA practitioner? I doubt it. He couldn’t fight his way out of a paper bag. Or is his coming across as some dimwitted macho guy something to do with the fact that he was once an aerobics instructor? Anyway, his proclivity to be abrasive to all and sundry smacks of someone who suffers from severe and acute insecurity issues.

The bullied becomes the bully. And that’s what Dana White is—a BULLY. It’s nothing to be proud of, because as most of us know when push comes to shove, they’ll be the first to fold.

I could vilify Dana White until the cows came home, but I won’t. Mr. White is a legend in his own mind.

It should be noted that the MMA is not a wholly established sport yet, and it be could said that it’s still in its infancy—and thus the UFC is a growing concern, and not the finished business model. So, Mr. White, a bit of professionalism and respect wouldn’t go amiss toward the fighters, fans, et al.

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