Tag: UFC 153

UFC 153 Results: Was Erick Silva Just Another Overhyped Prospect?

Too much Internet hype and not enough in-cage ability to back it up—that’s the story of UFC 153 fighter Erick Silva, who was broken by perennial contender and relentless “grinder” Jon Fitch.For some reason, MMA fans (specifically “hardcore” fans …

Too much Internet hype and not enough in-cage ability to back it up—that’s the story of UFC 153 fighter Erick Silva, who was broken by perennial contender and relentless “grinder” Jon Fitch.

For some reason, MMA fans (specifically “hardcore” fans on Internet forums and message boards) love hyping up young, apparently gifted fighters to the nth degree—and nine times out of 10 these fighters don’t live up to the hype. Sometimes they don’t even live up to expectations that non-hyped, forgotten, low-level fighters have.

The list of would-be next big things is a long one.

Fighters like Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, Brandon Vera, Charles Oliveira, Jimy Hettes, Alex Caceres, Houston Alexander, Denis Kang, Gerald Harris, Gesias Cavalcante, as well as dozens of others were all promised to deliver in a big way, yet most of them only delivered against low-level opponents and were decisively beaten when they faced their first true test. 

And, after this loss, a lot of these overhyped Internet supermen faded away into nothing; they couldn’t handle losing and they, apparently, couldn’t handle winning against a decent opponent either. 

Brandon Vera, for example, started his career off 8-0 against the likes of Justin Eilers and Mike Whitehead. He had a feather in his cap in the form of a TKO victory over an out-of-shape Frank Mir (after Mir had already suffered the consequences of his 2004 motorcycle accident) but faded when he faced former heavyweight champ Tim Sylvia. 

After the loss to Sylvia, Vera never recovered.

After an 8-1 start, his record was a mediocre 4-5 (1 NC), beating the Keith Jardines of the world but losing to any top talent (as well as not-so-top talent like an ancient Randy Couture).

Erick Silva may just be another Brandon Vera—an upstart who looks brilliant against the infamous “guys without Wikipedia pages” but who, on his best day, isn’t capable of beating anyone in the top 10. 

However, we don’t know this for sure yet. Silva is only 28 years old. As such, he has time to re-evaluate, rejuvenate and come back to the cage as a better fighter. It’s that, or join the ignominious list of “next big things” who were only next on the chopping block and were only big on the regional circuit.

 

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UFC 153: 5 Fights for Erick Silva to Take Next

Despite looking like an overwhelmed rookie opposite Jon Fitch at UFC 153, talented welterweight prospect Erick Silva still possesses a bright future in the UFC.He was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.In the end, the defeat could very well he…

Despite looking like an overwhelmed rookie opposite Jon Fitch at UFC 153, talented welterweight prospect Erick Silva still possesses a bright future in the UFC.

He was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time.

In the end, the defeat could very well help the Brazilian mature as a fighter, like Georges St-Pierre’s loss to Matt Hughes at UFC 50 did for him.

With that said, assuming Silva can quickly regroup and fix his mistakes, here are five fights he should take on next.

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UFC 153 Result: Is Dave Herman a UFC-Caliber Fighter?

Dave Herman was submitted by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the second round of their heavyweight contest at UFC 153.The result marks Herman’s third straight defeat, the third time in a row that he has been stopped and his overall inability to hang with t…

Dave Herman was submitted by Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira in the second round of their heavyweight contest at UFC 153.

The result marks Herman’s third straight defeat, the third time in a row that he has been stopped and his overall inability to hang with the promotion’s veterans.

While there are many fighters currently in the employ of Zuffa that aren’t at Herman’s level, he came to the UFC with moderate expectations that he has since come nowhere near meeting.

At 1-3, Herman’s only UFC win came in his debut. And while many will remember his back-and-forth contest with John Olav Einemo as a defining performance for Herman, it was only the excitement of the bout that masked an otherwise shaky and mediocre display of skill.

Since barely outstriking a renowned grappler for his only ‘W,’ Herman has been soundly defeated three times. Each fight in isolation means, little—all came against tough opponents—but together they form a trend. A trend defined by his latest performance.

At UFC 153 Herman looked awful. On the feet he rarely mounted any sort of offense, stood almost entirely still and left his chin unmoved for essentially the whole match.

On the mat he was able to at least make locking in the submission a challenge for Big Nog, but that just delayed the inevitable result, which the legend finally grasped at the 4:31 mark of Round 2.

I recently expressed the sentiment that Nogueira—while still a solid heavyweight—is not at the top of the division. Against Herman though, he looked like he was. The performance, however, is an indicator more of Herman’s level than Nogueira’s.

Taking nothing away from the elder Brazilian, Herman made himself a sitting duck all night. He also made it clear that he’s not good enough to be a UFC contender.

While we’ll have to wait and see whether the UFC keeps him around for one last chance, there’s no need to tarry on declaring him a fringe UFC fighter.

Sure, he’s encountered some tough UFC mainstays this year, but those are the guys that define the promotion, and clearly, Herman is not of the same caliber.

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Silva vs. Bonnar Results: What Does the Future Hold for Stephan Bonnar?

UFC 153’s main event put Stephan Bonnar’s heart on full display as he stepped up to fight quite possibly the greatest fighter that ever lived on two weeks’ notice with his pregnant wife ready to deliver their baby at any time.Unfortunately, B…

UFC 153’s main event put Stephan Bonnar‘s heart on full display as he stepped up to fight quite possibly the greatest fighter that ever lived on two weeks’ notice with his pregnant wife ready to deliver their baby at any time.

Unfortunately, Bonnnar wasn’t able to pull off what would have been the greatest upset in MMA history and fell victim to Anderson Silva by first round TKO. Most of the post-fight talk was about what was next for Silva, but I wonder what is next for “The American Psycho”?

Bonnar is, in my opinion, still a big name and would still be a great test to many of the top up-and-comers in the light heavyweight division.

He’s big, strong and very dangerous inside the Octagon, which makes Bonnar a threat to everyone in the division. Fighting Stephan Bonnar would be a major fight for up-and-comers such as Ryan Jimmo or Jimi Manuwa. The only question is would he allow himself to be a division steppingstone?

Bonnar has gone on record in the past stating he’d only fight guys with “more Twitter followers than me” and also saying that he is semi-retired, except for fights against big names. If this is the case, then you really have to wonder if UFC 153 was the last time we’ll see Bonnar in the Octagon. The only logical “big” fights I can think of is maybe against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson or Forrest Griffin.

Bonnar was very interested in coaching The Ultimate Fighter against Griffin as the two could relive their glory days when they became instant starts in the sport, but Dana White quickly shot that down.

Looking at The Ultimate Fighter’s numbers this year, two exciting and well-known coaches would likely be great for the show, and even if White didn’t want Bonnar and Griffin to fight once again, the coaching pair would likely be enough to draw a larger audience for TUF.

Even if this is it for Stephan Bonnar and he calls it a career, he goes out with a bang. How many guys would step up to face a man who hasn’t lost in nearly seven years? Bonnar will always be a legend in this sport, and if his career is over, nobody can say it wasn’t one of the most exciting careers in UFC history.

 

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UFC 153: Anderson Silva’s Win over Stephan Bonnar Proves Spider Has No Equal

Anderson Silva has proven time and time again that he can beat the best even on a bad day. Whether he is buried in the mat or pinned against the cage like on Saturday night at UFC 153 against Stephan Bonnar, Silva is always just one strike away fr…

Anderson Silva has proven time and time again that he can beat the best even on a bad day. 

Whether he is buried in the mat or pinned against the cage like on Saturday night at UFC 153 against Stephan Bonnar, Silva is always just one strike away from victory, as we witnessed on Saturday night in Rio de Janeiro.

It’s safe to say the Spider has no equal.

Silva won his 16th straight UFC fight at UFC 153, extending his record for most consecutive wins and moving to 33-4 for his professional career. His most recent win was slightly more impressive than previous victories, however.

Silva put himself in a vulnerable position up against the fence vs. Bonnar, but he ultimately embarrassed the 35-year-old light heavyweight challenger, connecting on a brutal knee to the chest and winning at the 4:40 mark of the first round via TKO.

In case you missed the performance there’s this from ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto:

At one point, with his corner yelling at him to change strategy, the Brazilian calmly put up his hands in a gesture to show he was in control.

That just about sums up Silva’s dominance in the sport. Whenever he seems out of it, he’s in complete control.

There are simply no limits to the Spider’s game. He wins at middleweight, and he wins at light heavyweight. The only relevant question is whether he’s going to embarrass his opponent in the process of extending his record.

Silva has won 16 UFC fights since June 2006, and only two required a judges’ decision. Saturday night’s win was the seventh time in less than seven years that Silva has finished off his opponent in the first round. No one else can touch Silva’s reign of dominance in mixed martial arts.

Until the 37-year-old suffers his first UFC loss, we can only come to one conclusion: Anderson Silva has no equal. Everyone who has come before him has either been left disappointed, knocked out or embarrassed.

Perhaps the next Spider is out there. But for now, all we can do is wait.

 

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter for more knockouts and submissions.

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UFC 153 Results: Jon Fitch’s Win over Erick Silva Makes Him a Contender Again

Jon Fitch gained a huge victory with his unanimous-decision win at UFC 153 over rising star Erick Silva. The win could have very well saved Fitch’s UFC career.Once a major contender in the welterweight division, Fitch had run into hard t…

Jon Fitch gained a huge victory with his unanimous-decision win at UFC 153 over rising star Erick Silva. The win could have very well saved Fitch’s UFC career.

Once a major contender in the welterweight division, Fitch had run into hard times as of late after a draw with BJ Penn and an unexpected loss to Johny Hendricks.

Fitch’s run of tough luck was a far cry from the fighter who once challenged Georges St. Pierre for his title back in 2008.

Fast forward to 2012 and now Fitch has life in the sport once again.

Not only did he beat Silva, but Fitch did it in impressive fashion. Fitch even came close to stopping the fight before the final horn sounded as he had Silva flattened out while the former No. 1 contender rained down vicious blows.

Silva was thought to be a top contender in the division before this fight, but that will certainly change after this loss. In turn, Fitch has now proven he can beat some of the best fighters on the planet. That’s the first step back to greatness for Fitch.

So just how far is Fitch from getting another title shot?

There’s no doubt it will take time.

This victory was the first Fitch has experienced since 2010, when he beat Thiago Alves in UFC 117. After the two disappointing finishes in 2011, Fitch didn’t get back into the Octagon for nearly 10 months.

While a title shot might be in his future, it will take more than one good fight to prove he deserves it. On top of that, Fitch would be better served to get some more fights under his belt before taking on GSP; otherwise, Fitch might find that he simply isn’t ready to compete at such a high level.

But no matter what, Fitch looked motivated against Silva, and that motivation is exactly what Fitch needed to begin climbing the ranks in order to staple himself as a worthy challenger for the welterweight crown.

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