Anderson Silva gets called many things by many people, but he does not get enough credit for being one of the smartest fighters in the sport of mixed martial arts.
At UFC 134, Silva proved that his mind is just as important in the way that he fights as his speed, quickness and precise striking ability.
Yushin Okami’s only chance to defeat Silva was by taking the fight to the ground and wrestling him for five rounds. Everyone knew that, including Silva, and he was avoiding the ground like the plague.
There was one moment in the second round where Silva connected with Okami’s chin and Okami fell to the canvas. But the shot was clearly not strong enough to knock Okami out, nor was it enough to faze him. Okami was trying to bait Silva into attacking him on the ground so that he could get him on the ground.
Silva, understanding the situation and knowing that he makes a living in the stand up position, let Okami get back to his feet. About 30 seconds after Okami was stood back up, Silva rocked him with a shot again and Okami went back down. This time, though, Silva knew that he had Okami right where he wanted him and he pounced on the challenger.
The reason that Silva was able to beat Okami, and every other fighter that he has gone against in UFC, is because he knows when to attack and when to let his opponent come to him. He knows when to move in and when to back away.
The brilliance of Anderson Silva does not come from all the spectacular knockouts and submissions that he gets, rather it comes from his ability to know when he has to attack and when he has to step back.
That comes from discipline and understanding what it means to be a championship fighter. In short, Silva is smarter than every other fighter in mixed martial arts today, and he proved that again at UFC 134.
