The UFC isn’t scared to cut fighters anymore. Not sure they ever really were, but at this moment in time, it doesn’t take much for one to receive his or her walking papers. Earn a few losses and/or fail a few drug tests, and a fighter always gets sent packing.
Well, almost always.
In the case of Thiago Silva, it’s apparently going to take a little more. And that last straw could come this weekend at UFC on FUEL TV 10 against Rafael Cavalcante.
In his past four contests, Silva is winless, though that’s not to say he didn’t originally post wins during the stretch. He did. Twice, in fact. Both victories, however, were overturned due to failed drug tests, placing the Brazilian at an unfortunate 0-2 with two no contests between 2010 and 2012. The losses came against Rashad Evans and Alexander Gustafsson.
Fortunately for Silva, he is a strong talent with exceptional power. He also has a propensity for a brawl. It’s a weakness we saw cost him a win against Lyoto Machida at UFC 94. Sometimes it turns into a strength, especially in fights against guys like Keith Jardine. Either way, he’s valuable to the UFC, as their decision to keep him around attests.
Also, his performances in the pair of overturned wins more than proved his ability to top mid-tier fighters in Brandon Vera and Stanislav Nedkov, though both are on the lower end of that category.
That’s the defense of Silva, the reasoning behind the UFC keeping him around. Would a loss to Cavalcante this weekend send him out of the UFC? Would a third failed drug test?
First of all, I’m moving forward with the presumption that Silva is not unintelligent, nor careless enough to risk a third failed test in five fights. Throw that scenario out the window because he knows another failed test means the end of his UFC days.
The other scenario is a little more intriguing. Why? Silva falls into a category similar to Dan Hardy, Leonard Garcia, and anyone else the UFC keeps around solely based on the entertainment factor. I’d like to think of him as the light heavyweight version of Mark Hominick, who lost four straight at the end of his career and wasn’t released from the UFC. Instead, he retired.
Meanwhile, Garcia lost five straight fights before being released. Hardy, like Hominick, also lost four-straight fights, though he survived the stretch.
Silva’s in a similar situation. He’s too fun for the UFC to let him go just yet. And fun was the only reason Garcia somehow stuck around as long as he did.
Silva’s also too talented. I’d argue, pound-for-pound, he’s more talented than Hardy and Hominick, and he’s obviously more talented than Garcia. But talent coupled with entertainment is the exact reason the UFC never let Hardy or Hominick go, and it’s the same reason Silva’s too great a commodity to be released.
A loss to Cavalcante on the main card of UFC on FUEL TV 10 would be a crippling blow to Silva, who would be winless in five straight contests. Guys have been cut for far less. Add in the failed tests, and it would seem a miracle the powerful Brazilian is still around.
But as quick as the UFC is to cut fighters nowadays, the company is just as quick to commend those who seem unworthy of commendation. Winning isn’t everything in this sport, and a lengthy skid doesn’t guarantee an eviction.
Hardy, Hominick and Garcia already taught us that.
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