The UFC’s middleweight division may not be the strongest perceived division in the lineup of eight, but it certainly is home to one of the best MMA fighters of all time.
Anderson Silva has reigned supreme over the 185-pound division since 2006. He has not lost in his two bouts at light heavyweight and has finished most of his opponents. However, having a fighter who is as dominant as he is makes the rest of the division seem like a shadow.
Despite what many might say, the Middleweight division is not weak. It may be one of the “weakest” of the eight, but it is not weak in regards to talent and good fighters. While light heavyweight and lightweight have huge pools of talent, it does not mean that middleweight doesn’t have any talent at all aside from the champ.
The question to ask, though, is what would happen to the division if tomorrow there were no Silva?
It has become second nature to think of “The Spider” when anyone mentions the middleweight division in MMA, but what if he disappeared or retired tomorrow?
Probably the most predominant change, but one that would be realized over time, is the perception. The division is perceived as weak or “not as stacked” as others. This is due to every fan’s own personal criteria, but it also has to do with the fact that Silva has been so far beyond the talent of the rest in his division.
In essence, he is so good that he makes other good fighters look not as good as they really are.
If Silva were to vanish from the division, the division would start looking much more competitive. Not that it wasn’t before, but many people find a division more exciting when there is an arguable chance that any one of the top five contenders could give the champ a run for their money. With Silva, some people don’t see him challenged, minus Chael Sonnen.
Without Silva at the helm, you have a great set of fighters vying for the title. Since most of the top contenders are well-matched amongst themselves, without Silva, the battle for the championship would be much more interesting.
Fighters like Michael Bisping, Chael Sonnen, Mark Munoz, Vitor Belfort, Rousimar Palhares, Brian Stann and others would suddenly get a jump in ratings and within a year’s time, these rankings would change drastically from what they have been these past years.
You would have a new champ, with a bunch of talented fighters who could win on any given night. Within the names listed above, there are none that are as clear a bet as Silva is in his current position. This is not to make it sound like they are not consistent or talented, since they are clearly the opposite, but match any of these men up with each other, and the betting odds are closer than if you pitted them against Silva.
Without Silva in the division, you might also see a few others return/show up to the division. Dan Henderson would be a candidate if he isn’t LHW champ or something by then, or some welterweights may want to move up.
It would certainly make an easier road for GSP to attempt to get to the top. If the UFC acquires Hector Lombard, Tim Kennedy, Ronaldo Souza, etc, they would also be adding to the pool and the middleweight division would be revolutionized.
Of course, other fighters already in the UFC 185 division would have their chance to climb back up, if Silva were gone. Leben, Okami and Maia are a few, and if the UFC ever gets back Nate Marquardt, the division becomes a stacked place of great fighters where each of them has a significant chance to win the title.
Silva may not drop off the face of the earth tomorrow, but time is certainly working against him at this point in his career. He does not have many years left, and being 36 and starting in MMA in 1997, one can only speculate as to when he will go downhill. Either he will begin to show wear, tear and age, or he will retire.
After the Sonnen fight, not many are sure what lies in front of him if he beats Sonnen again. There is always someone coming up in the ranks, but Silva will only be taking on challengers for so long.
For now, we are honored to watch such an athlete perform, despite our own personal feelings about him. We are fortunate to be able to look back years later and say that we got to watch a man become of the greatest of all time in this sport. Every generation has its “Jordan” or “Ali”; Silva is ours.
If he ends up training Jon Jones, as the LHW champ has expressed interest in, it makes for a great story of passing the torch.
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