Wanderlei Silva has thrilled fans over the course of his marvelous career, but he has reached the slippery slope of decline, and his flashes of brilliance are fading almost entirely to prolonged periods of beatings.
He does not need to go down this path. It is time for him to call it a career.
Silva mounted a patented fierce, all-out attack against Rich Franklin in the second round of their bout at UFC 147 on Saturday. He had Franklin on the retreat and it looked like victory was in his grasp, and once upon a time, it would have been.
During Silva’s six-year reign at the top of the PRIDE FC’s middleweight division, opponents did not escape moments like this. Franklin did, though, and he easily battered him before and after that moment. Silva had no consistent method of attack, and his biggest blows were thwarted. This left Silva limping to the finish line before losing a unanimous decision.
Silva is just now 2-3 in his last five fights, and even as much as his style is a favorite of the fans, his ability to draw crowds is waning.
The only way he will be able to win bouts is to take on fighters that aren’t worthy of main card inclusion, and the only way he will be able to land main card fights is to take on fighters he can’t beat.
Silva is stuck in that point of his career where he has to decide if he wants to continue to hang on, or leave before permanently staining his legacy or further risking his health.
Wanderlei has been a wonderful presence in the sport. He owes nothing, and he certainly has nothing left to prove. The time is right for him to walk away.
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