UFC Fight Night 29 continued its underrated parade of tilts with a light heavyweight bout between perennial contender Thiago Silva and veteran wrestler Matt Hamill. The bout wasn’t exactly a barnburner, but it showed that Hamill still has heart and Silva will still beat lesser guys even if he doesn’t come in motivated.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Realistically not that much. It was another fight on another card, something that you’ll see on Wikipedia in a year-and-a-half and say, “Oh yeah, I forgot they fought.”
You might remember the unusual sight of Thiago Silva wailing on a coma victim in the last minute, though.
What We Learned About Matt Hamill
Nothing we didn’t already know. At 37 years old, he’s not a contender, already retired once and simply doesn’t have the tools to be at the top of the division anymore. There are guys that he’ll beat, but the list is getting shorter every day he gets closer to 40.
He might be in love with his striking a little too much after changing camps, and perhaps he could have stolen one with a little more wrestling and a little more gas in the tank. He didn’t have a hard time taking Silva down, and had only a marginally harder time keeping him there when he did.
Something to consider if he decides to fight again.
What We Learned About Thiago Silva
Similarly, we more re-learned than learned about Silva this time out. He has a penchant for not taking lesser opponents seriously, and that may have been the case against Hamill.
He basically took the fight because no one in the top 10 was available, and given that he missed weight and sort of casually peppered his way to a win, it’s hard not to think this was a tougher fight to prepare for than if it had been against someone relevant.
Still, if he’s ever going to move up the ranks at the pace of his considerable skill, he needs to overcome such issues.
What’s Next for Hamill
Possibly retirement. Sure, he looked alright against Silva until he faded in the third round, but what’s he fighting for at this point? Was anyone clamoring for him to come back when he retired the first time? Hardly.
It’s time to go home.
What’s Next for Silva
A bout with a top-10 guy is a must, maybe after a meeting at the UFC office about professionalism. After being popped for steroids, popped for pot and missing weight this time out, the Brazilian is obviously his own worst enemy.
Depending on scheduling, a returning Gegard Mousasi or the winner of Evans-Sonnen at UFC 167 could make sense.
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