SILVA STILL THE CHAMP…BUT
Las Vegas, NV– It’s 1:35AM, I just finished watching UFC 112 and am listening to the post fight press conference as I type. Originally, I had every intention of making this week’s column relate to tonight’s UFC. However, only as part of an exciting nine day stretch of MMA that included the exciting second season debut of the upstart promotion ‘Bellator Fighting Championships’ this past Thursday and the potentially explosive ‘Strikeforce’ card next Saturday on CBS. But after tonight’s main event my emotions are so passionate right now, there is no question I have to write about UFC mddleweight (185 lbs) champion Anderson Silva and what I feel was a performance not worthy of a champion.
SILVA HAS PISSED PEOPLE OFF FOR LONG TIME
Let me begin by saying my sentiments did not just come about after the fight, but rather immediately after the first round. As I watched the fight unfold, I turned to the two friends I was watching the fight with and said, “For all the shaking and baking Anderson Silva does in the cage, he really does nothing.” Sure, he hit Demian Maia, whenever he decided to attack, but it seemed he was more content to try and mock him for some reason. Problem is he ended up making himself look like a fool in the process and that was even before round two where he took it to another level. Sadly, I’m not talking about his fighting, but rather I’m talking about his gestures, taunting and overall lack of respect for his opponent.
WHAT WAS THE SPIDERMAN THINKING?
Usually an extremely respectful and humble fighter, Silva decided to question Maia’s strategy and overall manhood as a fighter during the second round. He repeatedly stopped to do things such as throw his hands up in supposed disgust, pound the mat with his hands, hit his own body with his fists and verbally chastise his opponent. All the while though, I noticed that while he’s doing all this, it was he who made no attempt to go in after his opponent who was clearly overmatched on their feet. To Maia’s credit, he never responded to any of Silva’s antics during the round; he maintained his course of action, which unfortunately wasn’t much. However, in my eyes it wasn’t his fault.
STRATEGY PRETTY CLEAR TO ME
Maia’s gameplan was simple, get the fight to the ground where his dominant jiu-jitsu skills could come into play. He was unable to do that though as he could never get close enough to Silva to clinch and wasn’t quick enough whenever he attempted to shoot in on the champion. The obvious disparity in skills standing up is the reason for my disgust in Silva’s performance. He could have easily ended the fight, had he decided to be a finisher or maybe even a fighter; instead he decided to be neither.
AND THEN ANDERSON TURNED PUNK!
During round three and for the remainder of the fight, it was Silva who was doing the back pedaling and avoiding confrontation. Maia, whose nose was probably broken and whose left eye was swollen shut, was the one stalking his opponent trying to get Silva to engage. For all the talk Anderson Silva was doing with his antics earlier, he did nothing to back it up. Apparently, I wasn’t the only one that felt this way as boos began to rain down on the champion while chants for Maia could be heard in the crowd. Even the referee called for time in the last round to let Silva know about his effort or lack thereof; remember, this is the champion.
AUDIO OF DANA WHITE PART OF “RING TALK” SUNDAY
During the post fight press conference, Dana White’s disgust was evident, which made me feel justified in writing this column, but what sealed it was Silva’s response. Instead of owning up to his woeful performance, he actually blamed Maia for disrespecting him before and during the fight. He said, Maia’s comment about getting an arm or his neck before the fight was personal. I heard the comment he referenced during UFC’s ‘Countdown’ show and there was nothing disrespectful about it. All he said was “If I get his arm or his neck, I have a good chance”. The bottom line is, Silva, who is continuously mentioned in the discussion of “best pound for pound fighter,” fails to realize that you can have all the skills in the world, but if you don’t perform, no one cares about the end result. “Ring Talk Worldwide” should be ready for listening before 5 PM PT today, that’s if you want to hear Dana lay it out!
Sammy Perez