Author: Tim Keeney

A broken leg clearly wasn’t enough to stop arguably the greatest fighter in MMA history. 

Anderson Silva, 13 months removed from the horrific injury he suffered against Chris Weidman, cruised to a 49-46, 50-45, 50-45 unanimous-decision victory over Nick Diaz during UFC 183‘s main event Saturday night. 

Here’s a look at all the results from the night: 

Understandably, some of the biggest question marks before the fight surrounded Silva’s mental game. Long an impressive physical specimen, it was assumed he would have no trouble getting back to peak physical shape. But would he still have the same aggressive, confident mentality? What about those leg kicks, which resulted in the original injury? 

Well, it’s safe to say those questions have been answered emphatically. 

Although Diaz’s style—and the length of the match—certainly helped, Spider landed 108 significant strikes, per FightMetric.com. According to USA Today‘s Mike Bohn, that was a record-setting number for him: 

He also landed at least one left leg kick in each round, essentially quelling any potential thoughts that he may be hesitant to do so. 

UFC President Dana White, however, came away feeling slightly underwhelmed, via ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto:

I thought there would be a lot more punches. Nick Diaz alone is a guy who usually stalks you, taunts you and throws a ton of punches. Anderson Silva usually throws punches, kicks, knees. Anderson came back from this injury, and I said going into this fight I thought it would be very mentally tough for him to go and perform. I think—if he was just trying to get five rounds in, I don’t know. I wasn’t in that fight but I expected a lot more offense.

Still, White said in early January that a win would set Silva up for a title shot against the winner between Weidman and Vitor Belfort, and there was nothing to suggest that shouldn’t still be the case. Was it Silva’s best performance ever? Absolutely not, but he showed enough both physically and mentally to prove he’s ready for another chance at the belt. 

That is, of course, if he wants it.

“I need to talk to my family,” Silva said, via the Los Angeles Times‘ Lance Pugmire. “I love my job, this is me, I love fighting, but this is important to me now. I’m not saying I’ll stop. I need to talk to my family.”

No would blame the veteran if he retired. He has accomplished everything there is to accomplish in this sport, and this impressive win allows him to retire on his own terms rather than quitting because of the injury or hanging up his gloves after a loss.  

But if Silva wants to keep going, he should get a shot at the best. He proved Saturday night that even at 40—which he’ll be in April—he remains among the sport’s elite. 

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There are plenty of intriguing storylines at UFC 183, but they all pale in comparison to the return of Anderson Silva. 

Arguably the best MMA fighter of all time, “The Spider” has done it all: 33 wins, 20 by knockout, with most of those coming via jaw-dropping, spectacular fashion, 10 consecutive title defenses, nine UFC title fight finishes, countless other records and feats of pure transcendence. 

But now an entirely new hurdle stands in his way. 

Coming off a gruesome leg break suffered against Chris Weidman a little more than a year ago, the 39-year-old will have to prove himself both mentally and physically against Nick Diaz. 

Here’s a look at everything you need to know about UFC 183, as well as a prediction for the highly anticipated main event. 

Date: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015

Time: UFC Fight Pass prelims at 7 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m. ET; PPV main card at 10 p.m. ET

Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada

Main Event Prediction

On the surface, Diaz doesn’t stand as a difficult test. The veteran hasn’t fought since March 2013, when he was dominated by Georges St-Pierre. 

But while he doesn’t possess huge knockout power, he does land 5.63 punches per minute, per FightMetric.com. A relentless slugger with a never-ending jab, he’s going to press Silva, forcing the Brazilian to fight. 

In October, St-Pierre discussed the difficulty in fighting Diaz, via Fox Sports’ Damon Martin:

He brings a different intensity that you’ve never seen before.  You feel like you’re claustrophobic and you lose a lot of energy because he’s constantly pushing you forward and it’s very hard to fight a guy like him. Especially in the later rounds. 

Hard to fight for a regular human being, maybe. But this is Anderson Silva we’re talking about. The Spider is one of the most talented, accurate and vicious strikers in the sport’s history. As long as he’s on top of his game, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be able to handle Diaz. 

That’s the question of the night, though. Will Silva be himself, both physically and mentally? 

It’s impossible to know for sure, but judging by the videos he’s been posting on Instagram, he is not only in fantastic physical shape but not afraid to go back to the leg kick: 

Diaz will serve as a good litmus test to see exactly where Silva stands. But this is a rare physical specimen, and even after the injury, you should expect the former middleweight champ to be ready to go. 

Silva puts on a vintage show, earning himself a title shot. 

Prediction: Silva via second-round TKO

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The new year is just three days old, but it’s probably safe to say UFC 182 will be one of the most anticipated MMA events in 2015. 

Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier is the obvious headliner. The former, the light heavyweight champ who is considered by many as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. The latter, an undefeated monster with the talent to change the hierarchy of the division. Two heated rivals with bad blood between them. 

Bleacher Report’s Jeremy Botter put it simply:

Of course, the rest of the card isn’t so bad, either. Donald Cerrone vs. Myles Jury is a compelling co-main event, Hector Lombard may be fighting for a shot at Rory MacDonald and there are several other fights that should be very entertaining. 

Let’s take a look at everything you need to know. 

UFC 182 Schedule, Viewing Info

Note: Check here for all the ways to watch, via UFC.com

UFC 182 Predictions

Main Event Preview

A case could easily be made for either Jones or DC, as both are extremely versatile and can win in a variety of ways. 

With the champ, it’s all about his length. He has a historic 12-inch reach advantage over the challenger, and as he has done with so many other opponents, he could potentially use that to create separation, avoid takedowns and slowly pick apart Cormier with jabs and kicks. 

However, there is much more than just his rare blend of size and athletic ability. If he wants, Jones doesn’t mind taking the fight to the canvas. And he plans on doing exactly that against Cormier on Saturday night, via MMA Fighting’s Shaun Al-Shatti:

I will try to wrestle Daniel Cormier. I definitely plan on making him work extremely hard for any takedowns he’s going for, and I’m definitely going to be looking for takedowns myself. I’m more than capable of taking him down, and I believe in my top game. So I’ll definitely look to attack Daniel at his strengths, and weaknesses.

Considering Cormier‘s wrestling prowess, that’s a dangerous proposition. DC is a former Olympic wrestler who won bronze at the 2007 World Championships and gold at the 2003 Pan American Games. He is a physical specimen, and many will remember his last performance when he threw Dan Henderson around the Octagon like a rag doll at UFC 173 in May. 

Even against a fighter of Jones’ caliber, Cormier has the immense talent and strength to win a round or two. 

Ultimately, though, the champ is too long, too intelligent, too creative and too athletic. He’ll once again walk away from the Octagon with the belt over his shoulder. 

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