Wanderlei Silva makes his much anticipated return to the octagon this Saturday night at UFC 132 against Chris Leben. This fight has all the makings of an old fashioned backlot brawl between two of the heaviest hitters in the middleweight division. But if Silva wants to avoid a sixth loss in eight fights, he may have to change up his style.
From Yahoo.com:
…Silva is beloved not only by mixed martial arts fans, but by UFC president Dana White as well for his showstopper style.
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Silva and Leben often infuriate their coaches by abandoning carefully prepared game plans just seconds into the fight and turning it into a wild brawl.
It’s great that Silva has a style that fits his personality so well, but this is a results driven sport, and in recent years the results haven’t been good. He was able to score a decision win in a lackluster performance against Michael Bisping.
He needs to stay away from just trying to stand and trade with his opponents because his power, which used to be his trademark, is not what it used to be. He has to bring a more diverse set of skills to compete in today’s MMA.
The one good thing for Silva at UFC 132 is that he is fighting an opponent very similar to him, so he will know what to expect right from the get go. But if he wants to walk away from the show with a win and at least get back into the title discussion, he has to work the clinch and prove that he can be more than a standup fighter.
It’s a vast departure from the way that Silva usually fights, but it is the only way that he will be able to hold onto the legacy that he created for himself in PRIDE.