After all the analysis and build-up on fight week this week, my predictions for UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz are in.
The official weigh-ins for the event, which were held on Friday in Las Vegas (watch here) further deepened my belief that both cha…
After all the analysis and build-up on fight week this week, my predictions for UFC 196: McGregor vs. Diaz are in.
The official weigh-ins for the event, which were held on Friday in Las Vegas (watch here) further deepened my belief that both champions will prevail on Saturday night.
UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion Holly Holm looked sharp and ever-ready to retain her title against Meisha Tate. There will be no letdown for Holly in this contest. The big difference in my mind as it was with Ronda Rousey is Holm’s camp with Jackson/Winkeljohn based out of New Mexico. She has all the support from her team as well as the best training partners to push her while Tate’s camp is limited.
I am almost sure Meisha is not training with any UFC champions nor recieving input from the top coaches in all of MMA, certainly not on the level of Holm’s training partners and coaches. Holm will be ultra prepared with a rock solid game plan to go with her world class skills. That is a tough combination to top.
“Cupcake” Tate also seems to block punches with her face and this fight will be no different. She will struggle trying to drag “The Preacher’s Daughter” to the ground and will take massive punishment in the process. I am picking the champion by third-round (vicious) KO.
As I sit back and think about the main event at UFC 196, my mind is starting to change directions. What I originally thought would be a walk in the park for McGregor won’t be. Bank on this as a fight of the night thriller.
Styles make fights and Nate Diaz has all the variables to pull this off. The one and only thing I see as a problem is cardio as Diaz took on short notice and this is booked as a five rounder verses a three. Let’s break this fight down more thoroughly.
The stand up battle is a wash as both have outstanding stand up striking. Nate will try to use his reach and quick combos to breakdown the Irishman keeping good distance. We all know Diaz has a great chin and even if it goes to the ground, that could be quicksand for the Irishman.
Diaz has spectacular jiu jitsu especially from the bottom utilizing his long legs for the triangle. I feel McGregor will not go to the ground and will choose to back away allowing him to stand up. If Connor chooses to ground and pound, it’s possible the Stockton brawler could slip that leg over and catch him.
McGregor will utilize his vicious array of kicks and punches to find an opening in the armor of Diaz pushing forward the entire time. That could work into Nate’s advantage as well if McGregor slips up and walks into a punch but we all know McGregor has a great chin as well. Diaz also does not possess one shot KO power as he punches in bunches. With all that, I would give McGregor the edge because of the KO factor.
If the UFC featherweight champ finds himself on the bottom, Diaz could be dangerous for a few reasons. The first one being that he will attempt to exploit McGregor’s questionable jiu jitsu but I don’t think Diaz is as good on top as he is from the bottom. He also could very well allow McGregor to stand up.
The second is in a flurry, Diaz could catch the back of McGregor which could spell big trouble. Connor will have to proceed with caution at all times as Diaz has trained with some of the best ground guys in the world. I give Diaz the clear advantage on the ground.
Don’t forget the experience Nate Diaz possesses as well. The guy has beaten a ton of good guys and sometimes with ease. Just look up the who’s who on that list but have also seem him look flat and out of shape. The experience factor is close since McGregor has been on the biggest stage as of late. I would give Diaz a slight advantage if any here.
Both men have mental warfare skills as well and is a toss up. Though it appears McGregor has more, maybe Diaz is better at channeling his energy into the fight and is not going to let Connor get to him. That is smart strategy for Diaz to perform well in this contest.
Let’s all be honest here about McGregor, he ran through everyone the UFC has thrown at him at 145 lbs. including a very short and out of shape Chad Mendes. He also was able to KO Jose Aldo with what some people would say was lucky. Let’s remember that this is 170 lbs. and a very tough tall Nate Diaz. This is a whole new animal to deal with.
The question is was all that legitimate skill versus the “Luck Of the Irish”. We all know he has tremendous skills and can sell a fight but does he have the skills to win a war of a bout where he has to reach down deep in the latter rounds to pull it out ?
The only thing I see favoring McGregor heavily is the preparation aspect. Diaz took the fight about 7 days ago or 12 days before fight day. The question is how out of shape was Diaz ? Where is his baseline of stamina if not really doing much ? These questions will only be answered on Saturday.
As far as a prediction, I will hold of until after I watch the weigh-in. I want to see both men on the scale and watch their eyes and confidence. Sometimes it will tell you what’s going on in the heads of the fighters like it did with RR and other times it does not. It should be a good time either way.
As I sit back and think about the main event at UFC 196, my mind is starting to change directions. What I originally thought would be a walk in the park for McGregor won’t be. Bank on this as a fight of the night thriller.
Styles make fights and Nate Diaz has all the variables to pull this off. The one and only thing I see as a problem is cardio as Diaz took on short notice and this is booked as a five rounder verses a three. Let’s break this fight down more thoroughly.
The stand up battle is a wash as both have outstanding stand up striking. Nate will try to use his reach and quick combos to breakdown the Irishman keeping good distance. We all know Diaz has a great chin and even if it goes to the ground, that could be quicksand for the Irishman.
Diaz has spectacular jiu jitsu especially from the bottom utilizing his long legs for the triangle. I feel McGregor will not go to the ground and will choose to back away allowing him to stand up. If Connor chooses to ground and pound, it’s possible the Stockton brawler could slip that leg over and catch him.
McGregor will utilize his vicious array of kicks and punches to find an opening in the armor of Diaz pushing forward the entire time. That could work into Nate’s advantage as well if McGregor slips up and walks into a punch but we all know McGregor has a great chin as well. Diaz also does not possess one shot KO power as he punches in bunches. With all that, I would give McGregor the edge because of the KO factor.
If the UFC featherweight champ finds himself on the bottom, Diaz could be dangerous for a few reasons. The first one being that he will attempt to exploit McGregor’s questionable jiu jitsu but I don’t think Diaz is as good on top as he is from the bottom. He also could very well allow McGregor to stand up.
The second is in a flurry, Diaz could catch the back of McGregor which could spell big trouble. Connor will have to proceed with caution at all times as Diaz has trained with some of the best ground guys in the world. I give Diaz the clear advantage on the ground.
Don’t forget the experience Nate Diaz possesses as well. The guy has beaten a ton of good guys and sometimes with ease. Just look up the who’s who on that list but have also seem him look flat and out of shape. The experience factor is close since McGregor has been on the biggest stage as of late. I would give Diaz a slight advantage if any here.
Both men have mental warfare skills as well and is a toss up. Though it appears McGregor has more, maybe Diaz is better at channeling his energy into the fight and is not going to let Connor get to him. That is smart strategy for Diaz to perform well in this contest.
Let’s all be honest here about McGregor, he ran through everyone the UFC has thrown at him at 145 lbs. including a very short and out of shape Chad Mendes. He also was able to KO Jose Aldo with what some people would say was lucky. Let’s remember that this is 170 lbs. and a very tough tall Nate Diaz. This is a whole new animal to deal with.
The question is was all that legitimate skill versus the “Luck Of the Irish”. We all know he has tremendous skills and can sell a fight but does he have the skills to win a war of a bout where he has to reach down deep in the latter rounds to pull it out ?
The only thing I see favoring McGregor heavily is the preparation aspect. Diaz took the fight about 7 days ago or 12 days before fight day. The question is how out of shape was Diaz ? Where is his baseline of stamina if not really doing much ? These questions will only be answered on Saturday.
As far as a prediction, I will hold of until after I watch the weigh-in. I want to see both men on the scale and watch their eyes and confidence. Sometimes it will tell you what’s going on in the heads of the fighters like it did with RR and other times it does not. It should be a good time either way.
Although the UFC is beyond ecstatic with Conor McGregor (19-2) facing Nate Diaz (18-10), the path to getting that fight was not easy. As fans know, Rafael Dos Anjos had to pull out of his title fight with McGregor with a broken foot. Fighters pulling out of big fights have happened one too many times in the past. Moving forward, the UFC should book alternates when announcing big fights of a main event in case one of the fighters pull out.
The UFC was scrambling all day on February 23rd to find a replacement for the Irishman. Numerous names included Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Urijah Faber, etc. Some of the fighters declined the offer to fight McGregor, while others were already booked for future fights.
This scenario of fighters pulling out of big fights has happened way too many times. Just recently, Cain Velasquez pulled out of his title fight with Fabricio Werdum earlier this month. Subsequently, Werdum pulled out as well and the pay-per-view event was moved to Fox Sports 1. Jose Aldo had to pull out of UFC 189 with a rib injury against Conor McGregor. Dan Henderson also had to pull out of his title fight with Jon Jones at UFC 151 back in 2012. UFC 151 was then scrapped entirely and became the first cancelled card in the company’s history.
The UFC did get what they want in McGregor vs. Diaz but what if they did not? What if McGregor was pulled from the card entirely? These are things the UFC would not want to see. The easiest solution to avoid these scenarios is to have an alternate fighter signed and ready to fight in the main event in case one of the two fighters pull out.
This is no different than any wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament. Events like those have alternates ready in case one of the competitors cannot compete or get injured in the middle of the tournament.
Critics might say that the UFC should instead “beef” up their cards by providing fans with good fights from top to bottom so that a card is not cancelled or relegated to Fox/Fight Pass. However, it is tough for the UFC to provide fans with big names consistently since there are more than 540 fighters on the UFC roster.
Fans have to realize that the promotion is in a period of time where it is trying to become more mainstream by gaining a wider presence on Fox, expansion of UFC Fight Pass, and introduction of raw and potential talents. Zuffa’s goal is to provide as much content as they can to sports fans. In return, we can only hope that we can see more fighters gain stardom like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey has.
No matter what kind of fighters you have on a card, Conor McGregor will dominate the entire event. The same could be said with Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, or Jon Jones. Fans expect to see these fighters on the card when they first purchase tickets. When one of the fighters pulls out, the entertainment value immediately drops. An alternate would ensure that the card is not juggled up or in danger of being cancelled.
An alternate would also be a much smoother transition for the UFC brass when a fighter pulls out. When Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out, the MMA community was in a panic storm. Countless fighters wanted to fight McGregor. There were numerous rumors and false statements being made. Dana White was scrambling to find someone to fight McGregor after Aldo and Edgar turned down the bout. An alternate or fighter on standby would eliminate all that and would save the PR team a lot of trouble.
The UFC did have a “contingency plan” at UFC 189 when it was first reported that Aldo had a rib injury. In jeopardy of losing the big fight, Chad Mendes was made an alternate two weeks before the fight in case Aldo had to pull out. He eventually did.
The UFC should adopt this policy they had at UFC 189 moving forward with big fights that feature fighters like McGregor, Rousey, Jon Jones, or any highly anticipated fight to avoid catastrophe.
Although the UFC is beyond ecstatic with Conor McGregor (19-2) facing Nate Diaz (18-10), the path to getting that fight was not easy. As fans know, Rafael Dos Anjos had to pull out of his title fight with McGregor with a broken foot. Fighters pulling out of big fights have happened one too many times in the past. Moving forward, the UFC should book alternates when announcing big fights of a main event in case one of the fighters pull out.
The UFC was scrambling all day on February 23rd to find a replacement for the Irishman. Numerous names included Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar, Donald Cerrone, Anthony Pettis, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Urijah Faber, etc. Some of the fighters declined the offer to fight McGregor, while others were already booked for future fights.
This scenario of fighters pulling out of big fights has happened way too many times. Just recently, Cain Velasquez pulled out of his title fight with Fabricio Werdum earlier this month. Subsequently, Werdum pulled out as well and the pay-per-view event was moved to Fox Sports 1. Jose Aldo had to pull out of UFC 189 with a rib injury against Conor McGregor. Dan Henderson also had to pull out of his title fight with Jon Jones at UFC 151 back in 2012. UFC 151 was then scrapped entirely and became the first cancelled card in the company’s history.
The UFC did get what they want in McGregor vs. Diaz but what if they did not? What if McGregor was pulled from the card entirely? These are things the UFC would not want to see. The easiest solution to avoid these scenarios is to have an alternate fighter signed and ready to fight in the main event in case one of the two fighters pull out.
This is no different than any wrestling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament. Events like those have alternates ready in case one of the competitors cannot compete or get injured in the middle of the tournament.
Critics might say that the UFC should instead “beef” up their cards by providing fans with good fights from top to bottom so that a card is not cancelled or relegated to Fox/Fight Pass. However, it is tough for the UFC to provide fans with big names consistently since there are more than 540 fighters on the UFC roster.
Fans have to realize that the promotion is in a period of time where it is trying to become more mainstream by gaining a wider presence on Fox, expansion of UFC Fight Pass, and introduction of raw and potential talents. Zuffa’s goal is to provide as much content as they can to sports fans. In return, we can only hope that we can see more fighters gain stardom like Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey has.
No matter what kind of fighters you have on a card, Conor McGregor will dominate the entire event. The same could be said with Ronda Rousey, Holly Holm, or Jon Jones. Fans expect to see these fighters on the card when they first purchase tickets. When one of the fighters pulls out, the entertainment value immediately drops. An alternate would ensure that the card is not juggled up or in danger of being cancelled.
An alternate would also be a much smoother transition for the UFC brass when a fighter pulls out. When Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out, the MMA community was in a panic storm. Countless fighters wanted to fight McGregor. There were numerous rumors and false statements being made. Dana White was scrambling to find someone to fight McGregor after Aldo and Edgar turned down the bout. An alternate or fighter on standby would eliminate all that and would save the PR team a lot of trouble.
The UFC did have a “contingency plan” at UFC 189 when it was first reported that Aldo had a rib injury. In jeopardy of losing the big fight, Chad Mendes was made an alternate two weeks before the fight in case Aldo had to pull out. He eventually did.
The UFC should adopt this policy they had at UFC 189 moving forward with big fights that feature fighters like McGregor, Rousey, Jon Jones, or any highly anticipated fight to avoid catastrophe.
With the anticipated return of Anderson “The Spider” Silva (33-6) this Saturday all the focus has been on the main event. While the promotion leading up the event have been largely on the co-main and main event fighters, a fighter to look out for on Saturday is Makwan Amirkhani (12-2) when he faces Mike Wilkinson (9-1).
“Mr. Finland” created a lot of hype for himself after his debut in the UFC. He TKO’d Andy Ogle in just 8 seconds in the first round last January. He went on to submit Masio Fullen last June when he fought in Germany. That fight also lasted in just the first round. In Amirkhani’s two fights, he has only been inside the cage for 1 minute and 49 seconds.
He is a tall fighter for the UFC Featherweight division, standing at 5-foot-10 inches tall with a 72-inch reach. He grew up as a wrestler in both Greco-roman and Freestyle before making the move to MMA.
Although impressive with his abilities inside the cage, Makwan Amirkhani is just as impressive for his talk outside the cage and his charismatic persona.
In an interview with Fox Sports, he was asked if there was anything impressive about his upcoming opponent Wilkinson.
“Yeah probably his girlfriend. Nothing else.”
According to Bloody Elbow, he said that Wilkinson has “one week left, so he better enjoy it with his family, before I come to London and make everybody cry there.”
He also lets people know that he is better looking than everyone else in the UFC. Fox Sports also asked him what it was like to train in Stockholm before his debut against Andy Ogle.
“Everything is much better. I’m more dangerous and powerful, faster more handsome because I’m hanging out with my friends ins Sweden, and it’s like normal for them to look good, so I have to keep up with that.”
The 27 year-old has a large social media presence as well through his Instagram account. He posted a video of himself eating an apple before his UFC debut fight against Ogle that went viral. Take a look:
Amirkhani was asked about the apple in the post-fight press conference at UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson and said that girls would send him friend requests, compliment his smile, and the way he eat the apple.
Surely enough, the Kurd-born fighter has taken the MMA community by storm with his mix of charm outside the cage and deadly skills inside. He will gain an even bigger presence now that the featherweight trains at SBG Ireland with the likes of Conor McGregor, Artem Lobov, and Gunnar Nelson.
Makwan Amirkhani has all the essentials needed to become a mainstream fighter. He is poised to become a star in the UFC if he can continue to win and climb up the ladder of the featherweight division.
Amirkhani will headline the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping this Saturday on UFC Fight Pass.
With the anticipated return of Anderson “The Spider” Silva (33-6) this Saturday all the focus has been on the main event. While the promotion leading up the event have been largely on the co-main and main event fighters, a fighter to look out for on Saturday is Makwan Amirkhani (12-2) when he faces Mike Wilkinson (9-1).
“Mr. Finland” created a lot of hype for himself after his debut in the UFC. He TKO’d Andy Ogle in just 8 seconds in the first round last January. He went on to submit Masio Fullen last June when he fought in Germany. That fight also lasted in just the first round. In Amirkhani’s two fights, he has only been inside the cage for 1 minute and 49 seconds.
He is a tall fighter for the UFC Featherweight division, standing at 5-foot-10 inches tall with a 72-inch reach. He grew up as a wrestler in both Greco-roman and Freestyle before making the move to MMA.
Although impressive with his abilities inside the cage, Makwan Amirkhani is just as impressive for his talk outside the cage and his charismatic persona.
In an interview with Fox Sports, he was asked if there was anything impressive about his upcoming opponent Wilkinson.
“Yeah probably his girlfriend. Nothing else.”
According to Bloody Elbow, he said that Wilkinson has “one week left, so he better enjoy it with his family, before I come to London and make everybody cry there.”
He also lets people know that he is better looking than everyone else in the UFC. Fox Sports also asked him what it was like to train in Stockholm before his debut against Andy Ogle.
“Everything is much better. I’m more dangerous and powerful, faster more handsome because I’m hanging out with my friends ins Sweden, and it’s like normal for them to look good, so I have to keep up with that.”
The 27 year-old has a large social media presence as well through his Instagram account. He posted a video of himself eating an apple before his UFC debut fight against Ogle that went viral. Take a look:
A video posted by Mr.Finland ?? UFC FIGHTER (@makulaku) on
Amirkhani was asked about the apple in the post-fight press conference at UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson and said that girls would send him friend requests, compliment his smile, and the way he eat the apple.
Surely enough, the Kurd-born fighter has taken the MMA community by storm with his mix of charm outside the cage and deadly skills inside. He will gain an even bigger presence now that the featherweight trains at SBG Ireland with the likes of Conor McGregor, Artem Lobov, and Gunnar Nelson.
Makwan Amirkhani has all the essentials needed to become a mainstream fighter. He is poised to become a star in the UFC if he can continue to win and climb up the ladder of the featherweight division.
Amirkhani will headline the preliminary card of UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping this Saturday on UFC Fight Pass.
After his stunning knockout of Brazilian ace Jose Aldo to claim the UFC featherweight crown, Conor McGregor revealed his larger aspirations in the UFC by hinting that he wanted to try for another belt, specifically the lightweight championship at 155 pounds. He soon got his wish, a scheduled bout between reigning lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196. The brash Irishman was seeking to become the first man to hold two belts simultaneously.
However, Dos Anjos pulled out of the fight this week with a foot injury. Rather than a setback to McGregor’s plans, the replacement for Dos Anjos, the vocal Nate Diaz, proved to be an indicator of McGregor’s ambitious goals.
When asked about what weight class he preferred at the UFC Fight Presser today, which is an important question for McGregor since he will fight Diaz at welterweight, he said he wants to create his “own division” in the UFC. Weight classes for McGregor are secondary to fighting. He envisions a UFC where he moves freely between weight classes to fight because the bottom line is seeing who the better fighter is. He will fight anyone who has the courage to face him.
With Diaz replacing Dos Anjos but at welterweight, McGregor shifts to a non-title fight against a relative non-contender (at least for the moment.) For most fighters, a sudden change in weight and styles would be problematic and undesirable. Diaz is taller than McGregor and holds a reach advantage while boasting solid striking ability. True to form, McGregor shows he simply does not care, much the same when Chad Mendes stepped in for Jose Aldo. Last summer when informed of the news of Mendes replacing Aldo he allegedly said, “I don’t care, they’re all the same.” Today at the Presser he said he does not train for certain styles and opponents, he just “trains.”
McGregor wants to prove that he is the superior fighter. Period. Not the best featherweight, or lightweight, or be the first man to hold two belts. He wants to be the best fighter in the world, no questions asked. Any weight, anytime, anywhere. A true pound-for-pound king.
McGregor said so himself in the not so distant past when the UFC ventured to Dublin, “We’re not just here to take part—we’re here to take over.”
After his stunning knockout of Brazilian ace Jose Aldo to claim the UFC featherweight crown, Conor McGregor revealed his larger aspirations in the UFC by hinting that he wanted to try for another belt, specifically the lightweight championship at 155 pounds. He soon got his wish, a scheduled bout between reigning lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196. The brash Irishman was seeking to become the first man to hold two belts simultaneously.
However, Dos Anjos pulled out of the fight this week with a foot injury. Rather than a setback to McGregor’s plans, the replacement for Dos Anjos, the vocal Nate Diaz, proved to be an indicator of McGregor’s ambitious goals.
When asked about what weight class he preferred at the UFC Fight Presser today, which is an important question for McGregor since he will fight Diaz at welterweight, he said he wants to create his “own division” in the UFC. Weight classes for McGregor are secondary to fighting. He envisions a UFC where he moves freely between weight classes to fight because the bottom line is seeing who the better fighter is. He will fight anyone who has the courage to face him.
With Diaz replacing Dos Anjos but at welterweight, McGregor shifts to a non-title fight against a relative non-contender (at least for the moment.) For most fighters, a sudden change in weight and styles would be problematic and undesirable. Diaz is taller than McGregor and holds a reach advantage while boasting solid striking ability. True to form, McGregor shows he simply does not care, much the same when Chad Mendes stepped in for Jose Aldo. Last summer when informed of the news of Mendes replacing Aldo he allegedly said, “I don’t care, they’re all the same.” Today at the Presser he said he does not train for certain styles and opponents, he just “trains.”
McGregor wants to prove that he is the superior fighter. Period. Not the best featherweight, or lightweight, or be the first man to hold two belts. He wants to be the best fighter in the world, no questions asked. Any weight, anytime, anywhere. A true pound-for-pound king.
McGregor said so himself in the not so distant past when the UFC ventured to Dublin, “We’re not just here to take part—we’re here to take over.”
Oh what a tangled web we weave in the ever so complex world of MMA. Anderson Silva returns to the octagon on February 27th, at UFC Fight Night 84. This will be a tough test for The Spider in a return bout against Michael “The Count” Bisping. Silva is coming off a unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz (later ruled a NC due to PED use). While Bisping is coming off a split decision win over Thales Leites. With a win on February 27th, what does the future have in store for the former king of the middle weight division?
One can only think of what the future holds for Silva. Prior to booking Ronaldo Souza vs. Vitor Belfort for a May card, it was rumored that Silva may be stepping in the octagon with “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort. During Souza’s UFC 194 media scrum, a reporter asked Souza if he thought it was a good idea for Anderson to take on Belfort. Souza responded, “I think he should fight again before fighting Belfort to get his rhythm back”. So is Anderson even ready for the likes of a top 10 fighter?
Let’s forget the fact that #8 ranked Bisping has had five fights since Silva’s injury loss to Chris Weidman in December 2013. Lets forget that fact that Silva has not fought in almost 14 months. With both of these factors, bookmakers.com still has Silva a -325 favorite and Bisping a +255 underdog. If these odds hold true and Silva is able to top the more active fighter, this could get very interesting for Silva and UFC brass.
Anderson’s training partner, #4 ranked middle weight Ronald Souza, is scheduled to fight #5 ranked Vitor Belfort in May. Middle Weight Champion Luke Rockhold is fulfilling his rematch obligations with former champ Chris Weidman this summer. Number 6 ranked Lyoto Machida is another friend and training partner of Silva, hence the likelihood that they fight is minimal. Number 9 Thales Leites has already been pick off by Bisping. The only top 10 contender remaining is Gregard Mousasi, who battle Thales Leites on the same Fight Night 84 card.
For Anderson to even be considered for a title shot, the stars must align perfectly. He must first hurdle the road block in what is Michael “The Count” Bisping. He must do so in convincing fashion. Meaning, he must finish Bisping or pick him apart for 5 rounds (pre Chris Weidman style). Next, Silva must stay busy. He cannot afford to wait around for the winner of Souza vs. Belfort in May. And he sure can’t wait for Roshold vs. Weidman II, which is not even scheduled yet. “The Spider’s” best bet is to hope for a Mousassi win at UFC Fight Night 84, to put him in his cross hairs. Then we are looking at a 6 man unofficial Middle Weght Title tournament, with Roshold, Weidman, Souza, Belfort, Silva, Mousassi. This would set up a very entertaining last of the year/first of the year notoriously stacked PPV for the UFC Middle Weight Title.
Ironically, if Silva were to lose February 27th, it could be the last time we ever see the future hall of famer competing in the octagon.
Oh what a tangled web we weave in the ever so complex world of MMA. Anderson Silva returns to the octagon on February 27th, at UFC Fight Night 84. This will be a tough test for The Spider in a return bout against Michael “The Count” Bisping. Silva is coming off a unanimous decision win over Nick Diaz (later ruled a NC due to PED use). While Bisping is coming off a split decision win over Thales Leites. With a win on February 27th, what does the future have in store for the former king of the middle weight division?
One can only think of what the future holds for Silva. Prior to booking Ronaldo Souza vs. Vitor Belfort for a May card, it was rumored that Silva may be stepping in the octagon with “The Phenom” Vitor Belfort. During Souza’s UFC 194 media scrum, a reporter asked Souza if he thought it was a good idea for Anderson to take on Belfort. Souza responded, “I think he should fight again before fighting Belfort to get his rhythm back”. So is Anderson even ready for the likes of a top 10 fighter?
Let’s forget the fact that #8 ranked Bisping has had five fights since Silva’s injury loss to Chris Weidman in December 2013. Lets forget that fact that Silva has not fought in almost 14 months. With both of these factors, bookmakers.com still has Silva a -325 favorite and Bisping a +255 underdog. If these odds hold true and Silva is able to top the more active fighter, this could get very interesting for Silva and UFC brass.
Anderson’s training partner, #4 ranked middle weight Ronald Souza, is scheduled to fight #5 ranked Vitor Belfort in May. Middle Weight Champion Luke Rockhold is fulfilling his rematch obligations with former champ Chris Weidman this summer. Number 6 ranked Lyoto Machida is another friend and training partner of Silva, hence the likelihood that they fight is minimal. Number 9 Thales Leites has already been pick off by Bisping. The only top 10 contender remaining is Gregard Mousasi, who battle Thales Leites on the same Fight Night 84 card.
For Anderson to even be considered for a title shot, the stars must align perfectly. He must first hurdle the road block in what is Michael “The Count” Bisping. He must do so in convincing fashion. Meaning, he must finish Bisping or pick him apart for 5 rounds (pre Chris Weidman style). Next, Silva must stay busy. He cannot afford to wait around for the winner of Souza vs. Belfort in May. And he sure can’t wait for Roshold vs. Weidman II, which is not even scheduled yet. “The Spider’s” best bet is to hope for a Mousassi win at UFC Fight Night 84, to put him in his cross hairs. Then we are looking at a 6 man unofficial Middle Weght Title tournament, with Roshold, Weidman, Souza, Belfort, Silva, Mousassi. This would set up a very entertaining last of the year/first of the year notoriously stacked PPV for the UFC Middle Weight Title.
Ironically, if Silva were to lose February 27th, it could be the last time we ever see the future hall of famer competing in the octagon.
