UFC 134 gave Anderson Silva one more occasion to prove he is a genius inside the cage. It also gave more ammo for those who argue—and there is little argument—that he is greatest fighter in MMA history.
For many, it strengthened their case that Silva has no business continuing to take fights at middleweight. Either face Georges St-Pierre in a super fight, move up and take on the elite at light heavyweight, hell even go all the way to heavyweight and trade punches with the best of the biggest.
By continuing to fight at middleweight, Silva can showcase new and fun ways to dismantle men that are clearly not from the same planet. He can rack up UFC records and add to his “legacy,” but he won’t be creating that much more distance between him and the other “greats” of all time, will he?
Lets REALLY see what Anderson Silva is made of shall we. Because, if we are being honest, who is the best fighter that he has picked apart in his career: Forrest Griffin? Dan Henderson? Rick Franklin? Need I continue?
And then there was “that Gangster from Oregon” a.k.a. Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen pushed Silva to the brink back at UFC 117. For four-and-a-half rounds Sonnen took Silva down—at will—and laid on top of him, stifling him. Sonnen also set a record for most strikes thrown in fight—although they clearly didn’t do that much damage.
Silva ended the fight in dramatic and confusing fashion when he was able to wrap his legs around Sonnen’s head and force him to tap due to triangle choke. It was dramatic because Sonnen had been dominating the fight and it was nearly over, confusing because it wasn’t completely clear if Sonnen tapped or not and no one knew for a moment if the fight was actually over or not.
So even after UFC 134, fans still want to see a rematch between two of the most Shakespearean characters in MMA history. On paper, a case can be made for Silva vs. Sonnen II. But does anyone honestly think that Sonnen can do any better then he did in that first fight?
The answer is no. No he cant.
But alas, people still want to see it. They want to see it more then Silva vs. GSP, Silva vs. Jon Jones, even Silva vs. current Heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez. At least, according to the latest poll on the Bleacher Report UFC page. Jones and St-Pierre come in second and third.
If you want to know who this particular writer thinks Silva should push up against next, think big. Silva is nearing that point in his career when we could see that proverbial drop off, so it’s time to go big, or go home.
Time, and UFC Matchmaker Joe Silva, will ultimately determine who ‘The Spider’ tangles with next, but don’t be surprised if it’s who the majority of people seem to want him to battle with next. It makes “sense” and would seemingly be the most simple fight to book, assuming Sonnen wins his next bout.
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