My Thoughts on Anderson Silva

by Donna on Apr 11, 2010 12:48 PM EDT in Random Thoughts and Ramblings

Photo courtesy of Sherdog.

Let's get one thing out of the way. Last night's Anderson/Maia fight was a travesty. The lack of respect Silva showed for Maia and the fans that shelled out money to watch him fight was astonishing. You always expect a bit of showboating when Silva is fighting, but by round 3 my mouth was permanently affixed in the open position. Dana White said it best, "He acted like a complete jackass." At any point in that fight Silva could have ended it. Why he chose to go 5 rounds is beyond me. Was he trying to prove a point? Avoid getting hit at all? Who knows. One thing I'm sure of is the number of Silva fans probably dropped to about a dozen after last night's display.

Here's the problem. Anderson Silva is the best MMA fighter ever. There is no one out there that even comes close to having the kind of talent that Silva does. Silva was fighting Maia, arguably the best BJJ fighter in the UFC, and the difference between their skill levels was a joke. Anderson Silva is a Hermes Birkin crocodile handbag, and everyone else is just a Louis Vuitton knockoff. (Sorry boys, but the girls know what I mean.) However, this by no means gives Silva the right to act the way he did last night. If you're that good, and no one can provide a challenge to you, then leave the sport gracefully. Work on getting the fastest KO in history. Try your hand at different weight classes. Do something besides what you did last night. Silva has stated that he wants a shot at GSP, and then perhaps he'll move up to heavyweight and try his luck there. But I'd say the chance of Dana White letting that happen after last night's debacle is slim and none.

So, what's going to happen next? I'm really not sure, but I do know that MMA fans have a long memory. Silva probably permanently damaged his fan base after last night. The guy still holds the belt, so he's going to get the chance to defend it, but is anyone going to be rooting for him to win? The part that really sucks for me is, there isn't anyone out there that can take it from him. So now we have a middleweight champ that no one wants to see win, and a complete lack of fighters that can take him out. I'd say Dana White is in quite a pickle, no?

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I won't be paying to watch Anderson

Perhaps Dana White should put Silva on the untelevised undercard portion of a show. Maybe if his fight is good, they can use it as filler in case of a couple of quick KO’s during the main card.

It’s too f’ing expensive to buy PPVs with Silva, knowing there’s a good chance of it not only being a mismatch, but a clown show on top of it. I’d rather see a nice competitive bout between evenly matched fighters, even if no belt was on the line.

I hope either Sonnen or Belfort whips Silva soon. Please, oh please, oh please.

by Ray Daddy on Apr 11, 2010 1:13 PM EDT reply actions

easy solution. put anderson silva in there with jon jones and when he makes those .....

mocking gestures he will get KTFO’D by a jones 360 degree spinning back fist. i even think d.w. and the fertitta’s are tired of his antics.

I'm all about covering the spread and moneylines. I was building a house, I don't deserve this, deserves have nothing to do with it. Bang. "Unforgiven" I drink your milkshake. I drink it up! "There Will BE Blood"

by wolfmanshowlforever on Apr 11, 2010 1:18 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I'd definitely like to see Jon Jones get a shot

But he might be 1 or 2 years away from a win? At least we know he wouldn’t be scared of Silva.

by Donna on Apr 11, 2010 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

yes it will be one year away but i am a patient man.

you think the crowd would go crazy if it happened? anderson silva on the canvas for five minutes like chuck liddell was when rashad vans knock him out. i think i’ll be there live when it happens.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Apr 11, 2010 1:39 PM EDT up reply actions

I was thinking the same thing.

I’d love to see Jones knock him on his ass.

Gals Guide to MMA

by Beth on Apr 11, 2010 1:36 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't think Sonnen has a shot, maybe Belfort

Is there any chance White can just cancel his contract and start over with a MW champ?

by Donna on Apr 11, 2010 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

You know.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that it’s pretty hard to tell if Silva is the best fighter around still because he hasn’t fought in his last three fights. He’s danced, twitched, taunted, done his best impressions of people he’ll never fight…but he hasn’t fought. Who the fuck knows how he fights anymore…punching someone in the calf doesn’t equal the awesome-ness that he used to showcase. Too bad his ego has surpassed his talent.

by Darla on Apr 11, 2010 1:59 PM EDT reply actions

It’s crazy too cause the last issue of UFC Magazine had a profile of Silva where he came across as humble. Umm…..not so much.

by Donna on Apr 11, 2010 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions

Disappointed to say the least...

I’d never seen Silva fight before, and was impressed with him when I watched the pre-fight press conference. He seemed likable, well-spoken, and humble and I actually LIKED the guy….for about 12 hours.

I don’t know what kind of crack Silva’s been smoking lately, but yesterday’s bout easily wins the title “worst fight I’ve ever seen.” Absolutely ridiculous. His clowning was kind of amusing the first round, and maybe even into the second round…but by the third round, I was just annoyed. Even if Silva doesn’t give a damn about the fans, you’d think he would at least have enough respect for his employer to NOT pull this kind of crap at such an important event for the UFC. It’s one thing to be a jackass when it’s just another Vegas event, but yesterday? Really? And to say after the fact that he was sending a message to Maia for “disrespecting him” before the fight…huh?!

I’m not shy about the fact that I’m no fan of DFW…but watching his post-fight interview about Silva actually made me feel bad for him. I’ve never seen him look so sad or be so subdued! If I were Silva, I’d be very, very frightened right now…

As for Silva’s contract — I’m willing to bet that DFW has at the very least considered that option. I’d be curious to know exactly what the terms of the contract are, and whether or not there even IS a way out for the UFC. Regardless, if there’s no jackassery clause in the UFC’s current boilerplate, I’m betting there sure as hell will be after this..

Assuming that DFW is able to break Silva’s contract and decides to do so, who says Strikeforce will even want him? He’s proven himself to be a liability. Good fighter or no, he clearly can’t be counted on to behave like a professional. I sure as hell wouldn’t want to contract with him…

by dubiety on Apr 11, 2010 4:14 PM EDT reply actions

His clowning was kind of amusing the first round, and maybe even into the second round…but by the third round, I was just annoyed.

My thoughts exactly

by Donna on Apr 11, 2010 5:28 PM EDT up reply actions

Dana actually made a comment at the presser about Silva maybe being the first champ fighting in the prelims. I cheered.
The disrespect thing Silva mentioned sounds like crap to me. I mean, almost all fighters talk some shit before their fight. It doesn’t really mean anything, it’s just part of selling the fight. Big deal. To take it that seriously… I mean, man, if Silva found Maia’s talk disrepectful, what would he do if he gets his hands on Sonnen?
Also, last year, there was talk that Silva wanted out of his contract but the UFC won’t let him. That was the theory behind that crazy “I’m injured” “I’m ok” “I’m having surgery on my elbow, so I can’t fight…” bs that was going on then. However, if that was the case, who knows where Dana’s head is on the whole contract thing now.

"We don't need no water, let the Badr Hari burn!" - Michael Schiavello

by Jackie Maden on Apr 11, 2010 5:06 PM EDT reply actions

Here's a question I don't know the answer to.

Can Dana cancel his contract and strip him of the title?

by Donna on Apr 11, 2010 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't know...

But I am 100% sure he’s thinking about it. Daydreaming about it, even.

"We don't need no water, let the Badr Hari burn!" - Michael Schiavello

by Jackie Maden on Apr 11, 2010 5:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Depends...

…on how the contract is written. If Silva’s behavior constitutes a breach of the contract, then yeah, Zuffa can release him from the contract and/or demand he reimburse them damages…

Sherdog has a pretty interesting article regarding Zuffa contracts here. The article’s about Randy Couture’s contract dispute with Zuffa so much of the information is in reference to keeping fighters and retirement and whatnot, but they did say the following:

At all times Zuffa retains the right to accelerate the term of the contract and therefore terminate the company’s obligations if certain conditions are met. Among these conditions: fighter loses any MMA fight; fighter fails to participate in the minimum number of fights for any reason other than injury; fighter breaches the contract; any of the various representations or warranties made by the fighter in the contract are false or no longer true; fighter’s license is suspended or revoked by any athletic commission.

On a somewhat related note, the biggest complaint I hear about DFW, et. al., is that they act like they “own” the fighters and write their contracts as such. This is largely where my skepticism of Dana comes from — the UFC’s business practices seem to border on monopolization. If the UFC is going to be the premier MMA organization in the world, I would like it to be because they have a solid reputation for being a good organization and have the respect of the MMA community, not because they’re the only rodeo in town…

by dubiety on Apr 11, 2010 6:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Excellent!

Thanks for the research!

by Donna on Apr 11, 2010 8:57 PM EDT up reply actions

they should strip a.s. of the title for bad sportmanship. cut him from the ufc.

then he can sign with strikeforce and fight fedor on cbs for all of us to watch for free. then my guy nate m. can be champion. i solved everyone’s problem.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Apr 11, 2010 10:50 PM EDT up reply actions

Lol… my husband and I were discussing the fight, and we decided that it’s all Marquardt’s fault anyway. If he hadn’t turned everything upside down by losing to Chonnen (seriously, wtf???), he probably would have been fighting Silva and maybe things would be different. See? All his fault. :)
(that was a joke, btw, I like Nate. All in fun.)

"We don't need no water, let the Badr Hari burn!" - Michael Schiavello

by Jackie Maden on Apr 12, 2010 7:06 AM EDT up reply actions

Damn you, Marquardt!!!

by Donna on Apr 12, 2010 9:48 AM EDT up reply actions

who does donna and satarma want as champion of the middleweight division if the ufc ......

makes him goto light heavyweight?

by wolfmanshowlforever on Apr 12, 2010 11:27 AM EDT up reply actions

lol Akiyama? :)
seriously, I have no idea. I would probably expect a war involving Sonnen, Marquardt, and Maia. Bisping will probably be whining for a shot. The only thing I know for sure is that I would NOT want Bisping or Chonnen (yes, that’s intentional) wearing that belt. Most anyone else in that division would be ok with me.

"We don't need no water, let the Badr Hari burn!" - Michael Schiavello

by Jackie Maden on Apr 12, 2010 1:58 PM EDT up reply actions

please not akiyama. i think wanderlei is going to mess that pretty face of his up.

i must admit i have a little bias in that b/c my guy belcher who was a +250 dog beat akiyama in that fight imo but two of the judges said he did not. blecher hit akiyama with so many kicks he could barely walk to the decision. it was ufc politics in my opinion. but this stuff happens and i’ll have my money on silva vs sexyama.

by wolfmanshowlforever on Apr 12, 2010 3:30 PM EDT up reply actions