There are plenty of intriguing storylines at UFC 183, but they all pale in comparison to the return of Anderson Silva.
Arguably the best MMA fighter of all time, “The Spider” has done it all: 33 wins, 20 by knockout, with most of those coming via jaw-dropping, spectacular fashion, 10 consecutive title defenses, nine UFC title fight finishes, countless other records and feats of pure transcendence.
But now an entirely new hurdle stands in his way.
Coming off a gruesome leg break suffered against Chris Weidman a little more than a year ago, the 39-year-old will have to prove himself both mentally and physically against Nick Diaz.
Here’s a look at everything you need to know about UFC 183, as well as a prediction for the highly anticipated main event.
Date: Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015
Time: UFC Fight Pass prelims at 7 p.m. ET; Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m. ET; PPV main card at 10 p.m. ET
Location: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Main Event Prediction
On the surface, Diaz doesn’t stand as a difficult test. The veteran hasn’t fought since March 2013, when he was dominated by Georges St-Pierre.
But while he doesn’t possess huge knockout power, he does land 5.63 punches per minute, per FightMetric.com. A relentless slugger with a never-ending jab, he’s going to press Silva, forcing the Brazilian to fight.
In October, St-Pierre discussed the difficulty in fighting Diaz, via Fox Sports’ Damon Martin:
He brings a different intensity that you’ve never seen before. You feel like you’re claustrophobic and you lose a lot of energy because he’s constantly pushing you forward and it’s very hard to fight a guy like him. Especially in the later rounds.
Hard to fight for a regular human being, maybe. But this is Anderson Silva we’re talking about. The Spider is one of the most talented, accurate and vicious strikers in the sport’s history. As long as he’s on top of his game, there’s no reason to believe he won’t be able to handle Diaz.
That’s the question of the night, though. Will Silva be himself, both physically and mentally?
It’s impossible to know for sure, but judging by the videos he’s been posting on Instagram, he is not only in fantastic physical shape but not afraid to go back to the leg kick:
Diaz will serve as a good litmus test to see exactly where Silva stands. But this is a rare physical specimen, and even after the injury, you should expect the former middleweight champ to be ready to go.
Silva puts on a vintage show, earning himself a title shot.
Prediction: Silva via second-round TKO
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