Anderson Silva is a major star within mixed martial arts. His status as a legend was cemented with a title reign that included 10 defenses of the UFC Middleweight Championship and 16 straight wins in the Octagon. However, returning to competition at UFC 183 has created an interesting wrinkle. Even though Silva is a name that the sport has come to love, he should not be granted a title shot with a victory over Nick Diaz.
In an interview on UFC Tonight, UFC President Dana White mentioned Silva’s name as a potential contender if he is able to defeat the Stockton, California, native on Saturday (via Sherdog’s Tristen Critchfield):
“2015 is starting off with amazing fights. It’s the best January in the company’s history. And all these fights lead to bigger fights. You’ve got Vitor Belfort versus Chris Weidman, then Anderson. If Anderson wins, he can fight the winner of either Vitor or Weidman.”
That statement causes some serious issues within the middleweight division, all of which point to the idea that even though Silva is a major draw in the promotion, he should not be placed in such a position at this time.
First, there is the question as to how this development will hold up the rest of the division. Currently, the UFC has Silva ranked at No. 1. Right behind him is Ronaldo Souza, who is on a four-fight win streak.
Even though he has been very impressive since moving over to the UFC from Strikeforce, Souza finds himself in a place to be passed over by Silva. This move is based on more entertainment than sporting value. Souza‘s manager, Gilberto Faria, made mention of the situation in a recent report by Guilherme Cruz of MMAFighting.com:
It’s up to the top fighters of the division like Ronaldo ‘Jacare,’ Yoel Romero, Lyoto Machida and Luke Rockhold, who are going after their chances for the title, to when they fight, change Dana’s mind. That can happen at any time. I believe ‘Jacare’ is, today, the fighter with the most credentials to earn a title shot, and a win over a tough fighter like Yoel Romero will prove that.
Unfortunately for Souza, a bout with pneumonia has forced him to withdraw from the fight against Yoel Romero at UFC 184. His absence creates an opening for Silva to slide in as the No. 1 contender. Men such as Romero and Luke Rockhold should feel slighted because they have been more active and successful than Silva in recent months.
Secondly, one must question the value of a win over Nick Diaz. Diaz is also coming off of two straight losses and a lengthy absence from competition. Plus, he has spent most of his career as a welterweight, where his best examples of success occurred in promotions other than the UFC. A win over him, even if it is a highlight-reel knockout, should not be enough to earn a shot at a title in which Diaz himself is not considered a contender.
Beyond that point, Diaz himself has not been promised the same reward should he pull off the upset at UFC 183.
Mixed martial arts is a professional sport and like any other: Entertainment value is a main drive toward the bottom line. Fighters who are able to draw attention to the sport will see more opportunities than those who can’t do the same.
Anderson Silva is one of those fighters. If he defeats Nick Diaz at UFC 183, the powers behind the scenes may grant him a title shot, even if there are other men more deserving.
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