Thin Line Between Love and Hate for Anderson Silva Fans

Filed under: UFCCONCORD, Calif. – For some of the fans gathered at the UFC Gym for Wednesday afternoon’s UFC 117 open workouts, braving the midday traffic, the teeming crowd, and the long wait just to get a glimpse of Anderson Silva was a labor of love…

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CONCORD, Calif. – For some of the fans gathered at the UFC Gym for Wednesday afternoon’s UFC 117 open workouts, braving the midday traffic, the teeming crowd, and the long wait just to get a glimpse of Anderson Silva was a labor of love.

For others, it was slightly more complicated.

“I want to see Anderson Silva get beat really bad,” said Fahrudin Velic, an ardent MMA fan who showed up early along with two friends to ensure a good view of the afternoon’s activities. “He used to be my favorite fighter. I loved Anderson Silva. Then he turned into an ass. If you buy his pay-per-views, it gets you mad because he’s not even fighting.”