UFC 162 provides Anderson Silva an opportunity to add yet another unforgettable moment to his epic career.So much has been said about Anderson again and again. We all know what is at stake at UFC 162, and we continue to hear pundits and fans consider t…
UFC 162 provides Anderson Silva an opportunity to add yet another unforgettable moment to his epic career.
So much has been said about Anderson again and again. We all know what is at stake at UFC 162, and we continue to hear pundits and fans consider the endless possibilities right up to the opening bell. So instead of knocking readers over the head with more opinion, or trying to entice with “a new angle”, let’s simply sit back and appreciate some of the moments Anderson Silva has given us as fans.
Whether you love him, hate him, consider him No. 1 or No. 2 of all time, no matter how often he is the center of your arguments for or against, Anderson Silva has had some of MMA‘s most amazing moments. It is time to appreciate those moments as fans of the sport we all cherish. It is time to appreciate the accomplishments of a man who has made himself something more—a legend.
Between 2008 and the first half of 2010, the UFC middleweight division was in the midst of a dark age—a time where contenders were few and champion Anderson Silva’s level of interest was diminishing. The downturn began just after Silva’s win…
Between 2008 and the first half of 2010, the UFC middleweight division was in the midst of a dark age—a time where contenders were few and champion Anderson Silva‘s level of interest was diminishing.
The downturn began just after Silva’s win over Dan Henderson at UFC 82 in March of 2008. Following that victory, Silva fought three less-than-qualified contenders and seemed genuinely bored with the lack of top competition.
His opponents—Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Demian Maia—were unable to put “The Spider” in danger, and Silva reacted by displaying his disinterest in the cage (see: UFC 112).
Then everything changed.
Following his miserable, borderline-offensive performance against Maia, Silva found himself on the receiving end of a verbal barrage from ChaelSonnen, a brash middleweight unafraid of “The Spider” and his air of invincibility. The division has never been the same since.
Now that the B.C. (Before Chael) era is long gone, the 185-pound weight class is as good as it’s ever been. Actually, it’s by far the most competitive version of the middleweight division we’ve ever seen.
Just one thing: Silva is methodically taking out all of the top contenders.
On July 6, top contender Chris Weidman looks to begin a new era when he challenges Silva for the title at UFC 162. Many, including welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre, believe Weidman is the man to finally break Silva’s incredible winning streak and rob him of his championship belt.
But what if he doesn’t? What if Silva does to Weidman the same thing he did to Sonnen at UFC 148, YushinOkami at UFC 134 or VitorBelfort at UFC 126?
What then? Good question.
The situation—which, for the sake of argument, assumes Silva defeats Weidman—is complex for a number of reasons.
One reason: Silva has defeated the majority of top middleweights.
In his last four title fights, Silva has defeated the current No. 2 middleweight contender (Belfort), No. 3 middleweight contender (Okami), and No. 9 middleweight contender (Sonnen), though Sonnen would be ranked much higher had he not jumped ship for the light heavyweight division.
Another reason: mobility is lacking.
Belfort and Okami (and even Sonnen if he stayed at 185-pounds) are perennial contenders. And, as poorly as they’ve performed against Silva, they’re quite good at taking out the rising contenders.
Example:
Michael Bisping entered his bout against Belfort at UFC on FX 7 with a lot on the line; Dana White promised him a title shot if he could defeat the Brazilian.
Belfort knocked him out in the second round, and Bisping took a tumble out of contention.
Sonnendid the same thing to him in January of 2012. The decision win earned Sonnen a rematch with Silva, while Bisping failed to jump into a top contender’s slot.
Oh, and Bisping‘s first title eliminator—against Dan Henderson at UFC 100—ended in utter disaster.
“The Count” is currently ranked as the No. 4 middleweight contender, which may simply be his ceiling, as he can’t get past anyone ranked higher.
Of course, there are a few others who are currently making a push for the title at middleweight.
One name that sticks out is Costa Philippou, who earned his fifth straight victory at UFC 155 when he knocked out Tim Boetsch (No. 10 ranked contender).
Another is Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, who finished off his Strikeforce career with a victory over Ed Herman, then debuted in the UFC with a submission win over Chris Camozzi. “Jacare” is expected to face Okami next.
Then, deeper down the list, guys like Luke Rockhold and Mark Munoz appear, sitting at least a couple wins out of serious contention.
Unfortunately, out of Souza, Philippou, Munoz and Rockhold, the UFC doesn’t have a ton to work with.
Souza and Philippou could turn into top contenders, but neither has earned a win over top-caliber competition such as Belfort, Okami or even Bisping. And Munoz was absolutely wrecked by Weidman, while Belfort did a number on Rockhold just recently.
The third cause of an uncertain future if Silva wins at UFC 162: the promotion can’t keep pressing the rematch button.
The Silva-Sonnen saga deserves a chapter all its own in the UFC history books, but that rivalry has run its course. And a Silva-Okami rematch is not something the UFC or its fans should want, considering how their last meeting ended.
The promotion, should the first fight prove entertaining enough, could call for a Silva-Weidman rematch, or they could throw Belfort back into the cage; as of right now, those are the only two matchups with any intrigue.
But rematches can plague a division, not allowing the weight class to develop or progress. The 155-pound weight class is a perfect example of this.
Of course, Weidman could upset Silva, effectively pressing the reset button on the weight class, yielding an endless amount of possibilities. With Weidman as champion, the list of contenders suddenly would be lengthy.
But the odds (designating the contender as a 2:1 underdog) suggest Silva is at least supposed to win the fight. If he does, the list of contenders will once again be shortened.
So, again, the question must be asked: what next?
In all likelihood, Silva rematching Belfort seems the logical next step, if he tops Weidman. And Belfort has been impressive in his last two outings, making that matchup at least somewhat intriguing.
But there’s no point in pretending the division has a wealth of legitimate competition for Silva beyond Weidman and “The Phenom.” And by 2014, if Silva is still champion, that will be all too apparent.
Fans of mixed martial arts can be an odd bunch at times. They’re quick to point out when a fight is boring and quick to let fighters know they expect some type of show for their ducats. However, cross the line from putting on a show to being perc…
Fans of mixed martial arts can be an odd bunch at times. They’re quick to point out when a fight is boring and quick to let fighters know they expect some type of show for their ducats. However, cross the line from putting on a show to being perceived as a show-off, and a fighter will face the wrath of the MMA community. One fighter that has been accused of crossing that line on more than one occasion is UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
Silva is often clearly operating a few levels above that of his opponents, and when he knows that, he can sometimes throw that fact in the face of his opposition. He doesn’t do this in interviews or when speaking of his opponent, but we’ve seen it multiple times in the past when the door closes to the Octagon.
The most blatant examples were the three-fight stretch against opponents Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Demian Maia. Silva’s in-cage theatrics during those bouts left UFC president Dana White openly frustrated and apologetic to fans.
Most recently, we saw that type of fight from Silva when he faced Stephan Bonnar at UFC 153. Silva, fighting at light heavyweight became the first man to ever stop Bonnar via strikes in that fight, but not before showing Bonnar that he was no threat at all to Silva. Standing still with his back against the cage and his hands by his sides, Silva practically dared Bonnar to try and mount some type of offense, before dispatching him with a brutal knee to the body.
In the days leading up to Silva’s UFC 162 bout against Chris Weidman, Renzo Gracie spoke to The Fight Network about Silva and the way his actions affect how people look at Silva:
Anderson is a guy that rubs many people the wrong way. He’s not a humble guy. Even though he may speak humbly when he talks, when he is in the ring he doesn’t act humble. He puts down his opponents, he acts in a way that again, we always now what is right and what is wrong, and by looking at that we know it’s wrong. It’s like you can beat your opponent, but do it with respect.
That habitual line stepping in the cage may be one of the reasons that some fans are rooting for Chris Weidman, while also rooting against Silva as their July 6 date inside the Octagon at UFC 162 nears.
I guess the lesson is that there’s a fine line between showman and show-off, and when that line gets crossed, expect repercussions.
On Saturday, July 6, undefeated prospect Chris Weidman will enter the cage as a title challenger against longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva. It is a hotly anticipated affair that offers much intrigue and is nearly a year in the making.With a…
On Saturday, July 6, undefeated prospect Chris Weidman will enter the cage as a title challenger against longtime middleweight champion Anderson Silva. It is a hotly anticipated affair that offers much intrigue and is nearly a year in the making.
With a 5-0 record inside the Octagon, including wins over Demian Maia and Mark Munoz, Weidman was tapped by many as the man with the best chance of crushing The Spider. However, as the event draws nearer, the chatter from fans seems to suggest that our readers are having second thoughts on the matter.
The doubt that fans have regarding Weidman‘s ability to pull off such a monumental win comes down to three things: ring rust, Matt Serra’s absence and the historical dominance of Anderson Silva.
Ring Rust
One of the most common struggles of a fighter returning from a lengthy cage absence is getting reacclimated to doing battle inside the Octagon. Time and time again fans have witnessed a can’t-miss fighter return to the cage looking like a flat-footed shell of their former selves.
On July 6, Chris Weidman will return to the cage for the first time in 360 days. His time away from the Octagon stems from a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Ask yourself a question: Is there any fighter capable of showing up in less than pique form and defeating Anderson Silva? I think not.
Lack of Serra
Earlier this week, it was announced (via MMAfighting.com) that longtime Weidman coach, mentor and trainer Matt Serra will be unable to corner his prize student at UFC 162. While that news may not seem terribly important to some, those that recognize the vital role that a cornerman plays know that it can make all the difference in the world.
The cornerman is an additional pair of eyes who can look for openings and shout them to you from afar. They help you spot an opponent’s weaknesses or mistakes, and there are few that do it as well as Matt Serra.
Fans who were introduced to Matt Serra through The Ultimate Fighter 4 saw The Terra corner his team throughout the show. Serra and his men picked up wins in seven of their eight quarter-final matchups.
Still unconvinced of the power of Serra’s coaching efforts? Between Weidman and teammate Costa Philippou, while under the former welterweight champion, the duo is 10-0 in the UFC middleweight division.
Silva’s Dominance
For some who are doubting Chris Weidman, it has nothing to do with the 29-year-old’s skillset. Rather, their lack of faith is based more on the undeniable dominance of champion Anderson Silva, which has afforded him an unprecedented 16-0 record inside the Octagon.
Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter of all time. That is not an accolade that is tossed around lightly. In fact, it was earned by defeating many of the most talented names that the sport has ever known, including: VitorBelfort, Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Forrest Griffin, ChaelSonnen and many more.
Weidman is a can’t-miss prospect in the middleweight division, but to suggest that he has proven himself to be better than the victim list on Silva’s resume is downright foolish.
At the end of the day, you should definitely have doubts about Chris Weidman‘s chances. However, those of you who feel as if Silva is going to walk all over the undefeated fighter are sorely mistaken.
When these two warriors collide at UFC 162, one man will have his arm raised. Perhaps it will be Chris Weidman. The New York native has all of the necessary tools to get the job done. Or does he?
