Anderson Silva

Who is the greatest middleweight in UFC history?

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This past weekend at UFC 253, Israel Adesanya (20-0) put on a show. Facing his toughest test to date in Paulo Costa (13-1), Adesanya put on the performance of his career stopping Costa in the second round. He proved he’s the best middleweight in the world.

Adesanya has become a superstar for the UFC. Whether it be the way he talks, his dancing, or his incredible slick striking skills, Adesanya wows fight fans. However, after Saturday evening, I was seeing a little bit of being a victim of the moment.

There were some members of the MMA media and the UFC Twitter mob that were already declaring Adesanya the greatest middleweight in UFC history. Stylebender is clearly the best in the world now, but I think that people need to pump the breaks just a little.

Yes, Adesanya is perfect at 20-0, but he just defended his UFC title for the second time. Remember, he just became champion in October. He’s not even one year into his title reign, and some are already declaring him the GOAT.

There is no questioning the talent and the skill of Israel Adesanya. He very well might be the greatest middleweight to have ever stepped foot in the UFC. However, declaring him the GOAT at this point is wrong. To me, he’s not even in the conversation with the actual GOAT of the middleweight division yet.

One of the UFC’s Best of All Time

There is only one GOAT at middleweight and his name is Anderson Silva (34-10, 1 NC). Before Adesanya fans immediately try to argue, I will warn you that there is no argument when it comes to their resumes inside the UFC.

Yes, I understand that Silva has really fallen on rough times, but you have to remember, he’s far past his prime. When he was in his prime, Silva dominated the UFC like only Jon Jones has dominated the UFC.

Silva outclassed every opponent on his way to winning his first 16 UFC fights. A winning streak that still hasn’t been matched in the promotions history. Silva won the middleweight crown back at UFC 64 and successfully defended the title 11 times before falling in 2013.

Silva’s unbeaten reign inside the UFC spanned seven years. If he would have retired after he defeated Stephan Bonnar, he would still be considered to be the greatest to ever do it. Of course, things derailed for Silva starting at UFC 162.

Like all great champions, Silva was never the same as he exited his prime. However, it’s still impressive that Silva can compete at his age. In fact, he looked pretty good in February of 2019 when he fought to a decision with Adesanya.

Yes, Silva lost the fight, but at 43 years old, Silva was able to keep the fight close, and he won a round. Adesanya is the best in the world right now, but he still has a ways to go in my eyes before he can be declared the greatest middleweight in UFC history. That’s still belongs to the Spider.

Anderson Silva acknowledges that his next UFC fight could be his last

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Anderson Silva (34-10, 1 NC) realizes that when he makes the walk on October 31st, it will probably be for the final time. The former UFC middleweight king is getting ready to close the book on fighting.

In an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Silva said, “I think that this will be my final performance inside the cage for my fans.” If it is, October 31st will be a night that the UFC world says goodbye to one of the greatest to ever do it.

Interestingly enough, Silva was trying to get fights with former UFC champions for his next fight. He was interested in Conor McGregor and Anthony Pettis. Despite mutual interest, the UFC put a halt to both of those matchups.

Silva changed the UFC

Prior to 2013, most if not all of the MMA community would have said that Anderson Silva was the greatest fighter of all time. The then UFC middleweight champion was 33-4 and had successfully defended his UFC title 11 times.

Silva’s blend of creative and precise striking made him almost impossible to deal with. The Spider did struggle with wrestlers, but he was a black belt in jiu jitsu and used it against wrestlers. He had submission wins in the UFC over grapplers like Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson, and Chael Sonnen.

Of course, we all know that history changed at UFC 162. Silva was playing with Chris Weidman inside the cage but played a little to much. He found himself staring up at the lights with Weidman becoming the UFC champion.

Following that, Silva had a devastating leg injury that he suffered in the rematch. He’s had a no contest against Nick Diaz after testing positive, one win, and four losses since the injury in December of 2013.

The former UFC middleweight king realizes it’s time to hang it up at 45 years old. Silva has been acting and he’s even developing a script which he mentioned to Okamoto. On October 31st, Silva will fight Uriah Hall (15-9) who in ways is a lot like Silva.

If you wanted to give Anderson a fight he could win and it will be exciting, Hall is the perfect choice. Both men have a lot to gain in the fight. Yes, Silva’s legacy is pretty well set, but nobody wants to walk away on a loss. While Hall is trying to get the biggest name victory of his UFC career.

UFC: Anderson Silva’s last fight could come against Uriah Hall

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UFC, Anderson Silva

The career of one of the greatest fighters of all time is coming to a close. UFC President Dana White said in the post-fight press conference of the Contender Series that the promotion was working on the “last fight” for Anderson Silva (34-10, 1 NC).

The Spider was once considered universally to be the greatest MMA fighter to have ever lived. However, his 1-6, 1 NC stretch over the last seven years has changed a lot of minds. Without a doubt, the former UFC middleweight champion is still one of the best to ever do it.

White said that the promotion was looking at another striker for his final fight. One opponent that White likes is Uriah Hall (15-9).

UFC 198 Throwback

“We’re working on a fight for him (Silva) coming up soon here…He will fight again. I met with his managers the other day. This will be his last fight…We’re talking about putting him in a very competitive fight that should be fun… Uriah Hall,” White said to the media.

Believe it or not, this would not be the first time that these two men were paired up. These two were initially supposed to fight at UFC 198 a few years back. However, a last minute injury forced Silva off the card in Brazil.

When Uriah Hall was on the Ultimate Fighter, many people remarked that he reminded them of Silva. Silva was the UFC‘s gold standard at that point in time. The way Hall was knocking people out, you couldn’t help but dream about a fight between the two men.

Of course we know that since that time, it hasn’t been smooth sailing for either man. Hall has never really lived up to his hype, while Silva has been sliding as he’s gotten older.

One More Fight

Silva turned 45 this year and really has nothing left to prove. He’s simply fighting because it’s what he loves to do. While he’s not at the top of the sport anymore, he proved at UFC 234 that he can still hang with the best.

Silva put up a very competitive performance against the current UFC middleweight champion, Israel Adesanya. Hall was initially scheduled to fight Yoel Romero this week, but that fight fell through with Romero pulling out.

Hall has won two straight fights and a win over a big name like Anderson Silva would really get some momentum behind him. I still would love to see Hall and Romero fight, but for now, I think I could live with seeing one of the all time greats compete in a striking match with Primetime Uriah Hall.

UFC: Anthony Pettis vs Anderson Silva?

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UFC, Anderson Silva

Anthony Pettis recently posted on his Instagram, a picture of him watching and studying UFC 234. Pettis wasn’t just watching the event as a whole; he was watching Israel Adesanya vs Anderson Silva. This fight is a super fight 100%, but should this fight actually happen? Anthony Pettis is still in great fighting shape and climbing back to the top, while Anderson Silva, well he hasn’t fought in a year, and hasn’t won a fight in 3.

Why the Fight Should Happen

It’s the ultimate money fight for both competitors. Money makes the world go round; this fight could easily command 700k pay-per-view buys by itself. Legacy will also come into question, Pettis has had a long, storied career, and Silva is one of the G.O.A.T.’s. The fans would be ecstatic to see these two Hall of Famers go at it. This is the type of fight you put together in the UFC games, but at least it’ll be more realistic this time.

Why the Fight Shouldn’t Happen

Anderson Silva is 45 years old, that right there should be enough to tell you that the fight shouldn’t happen. Since 2013, Anderson Silva has won one fight, and he has a record 1-6-1 in his last 8 fights. I’m getting serious BJ Penn vibes from Silva right now, and that’s a very bad thing. If Silva keeps fighting, his G.O.A.T. status will be lost, and UFC fans just look back and say he was the greatest Middleweight for these years. Very similar to what UFC fans say about Chuck Lidell. Lidell was the scariest man on the planet for 4 years, and he sorta tarnished his status with his later fighting years. I know no UFC fans want to see Silva get knocked out again. Also, what weight would this fight be at? Silva is heavier than a Middleweight right now, and I don’t think Pettis can reach 185 comfortably.

Conclusion

This fight should not happen at all. Pettis has everything to win, and Silva has everything to lose. Silva should stay retired and ride out into the sunset, and Pettis should fight someone like Geoff Neal.

UFC: What to do with Anderson Silva’s last two fights?

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The career of one of the greatest of all time in the UFC is coming to an end. Anderson “The Spider” Silva (34-10, 1 NC) is down to the final two fights of his career. Silva is considered to be on the short list for the greatest. In his prime, Silva’s run was incredible as he went 16-0 in the UFC with 11 successful defenses of the middleweight title. Silva lost the title to Chris Weidman, then in the rematch suffered a horrific broken leg. Silva is on a stretch currently where he’s gone (1-6 with 1 NC) in his last eight fights. Most of those fights besides the Cormier and Connonier fights were competitive while they lasted. With two fights left, who should the Spider fight in his last couple of fights?

Uriah Hall

I’m going to start with a fight that we were supposed to see a few years ago. Anderson Silva and Uriah Hall (15-9) were initially scheduled to fight at UFC 198. Silva had to pull out of the fight due to a medical issue. The fight would be a striking lovers dream. Both men have entertaining styles, and both men would want to trade. Hall came out of the Ultimate Fighter years ago being labeled as the next Anderson Silva. People thought the two were on a collision course for the UFC middleweight title. Of course, Hall’s career never took off the way we thought, and Anderson hit the tough stretch mentioned above.

At this stage, I think it would be the perfect matchup for Silva. Now, Uriah Hall is currently scheduled to fight Yoel Romero in August. If Hall gets through Romero, the fight wouldn’t make sense if you’re Hall because he will likely want someone who will get him closer to a title shot. However, if Romero wins, Hall will need an opponent, and Silva would be the perfect choice. A lot of moving parts, but this is a fight that I would love to see.

Shogun Rua

What more could you ask for if you’re a fan of Brazilian MMA. Two absolute legends in the sport going head-to-head near the end of their careers. If this fight were to come together, it’d have to be done in Brazil. I can just imagine the Brazilian crowd with Silva taking on Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (26-11-1). Both men are former UFC champions, and both men would be enshrined in any MMA Hall of Fame.

Rua, who turns 39-years-old later this year, is scheduled to conclude his trilogy with Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in July. If Rua gets through that fight victorious, a fight with Silva would make perfect sense. Neither man is going to be making a run for the title at this stage of their careers. Why not pair the two up for a main event that global MMA fans would love to see? Obviously it wouldn’t be the same as it would have been years ago, but for the die-hards, this would be a fight that you’d turn in for.

Robbie Lawler

This one is coming out of left field, but just think about it. How much fun would it be for Silva to take on former UFC welterweight champion, “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler (28-14, 1 NC)? The former welterweight king is entering the twilight of his career. After reining over the 170 pound division, Lawler has gone 1-4 in his last five fights. At 38-years-old, you have to wonder what’s next for Lawler. Lawler was completely dominated by Colby Covington in his last fight.

It’s hard to imagine Lawler climbing up the mountain again at this stage. However, we all know that Lawler is not done with his UFC career. Why not have him move back up to 185 pounds to fight Anderson Silva? Both men are former champions, and both men don’t have a clear next step in their careers. This would be another fun one for fight fans everywhere. Anderson does the best when a guy goes right after him, and we know that Lawler will do just that.

Chris Weidman

This would probably be the fight that Anderson Silva would want if you asked him who he’d like to fight (Outside of Conor McGregor). For years, Silva has maintained that he believes that he was better than Chris Weidman (14-5). Weidman knocked Silva out at UFC 162 after Silva was showboating. Silva was controlling the striking and having fun, but he got a little too careless. The two immediately ran the fight back, and Silva was losing this contest. In the second round, Silva looked to be getting into his rhythm before Weidman checked a leg kick that snapped Silva’s leg.

In the eyes of the MMA world, the two fights have a “What if?” about them. What if Anderson took Weidman seriously and didn’t put his hands down in the first fight? What if Silva didn’t break his leg in the second fight? No matter what Weidman says, there are always going to be questions around those two fights. Many won’t give Weidman his proper due for those fights. Obviously Silva is not the same guy anymore, but neither is Weidman who has gone 1-5 in his last six fights getting knocked out in every loss. Weidman has a fight coming up, but regardless of the outcome, why not run it back one final time? Give Weidman the chance to shut the doubters up for good or give Anderson the chance to prove that both fights were flukes.

What does the UFC do?

I really don’t know what Dana White and the UFC are going to do with these last couple of fights. All we know for sure is that they are not going to give Silva a pure wrestler outside of Weidman. They are going to give him someone who will stand and trade. Anderson Silva is one of the reasons I became a massive MMA fan, and it’s going to be bitter-sweet seeing these last couple of fights. No, he’s not the same guy he used to be, but in the hearts of fans everywhere, we will still get goosebumps hearing “Ain’t No Sunshine” by DMX play as Silva makes his walk for the couple of times.

UFC: Anderson Silva-Anthony Pettis at middleweight?

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The UFC world is anything but dull at the moment, and now we have another fascinating potential matchup to discuss that has come out of left field. Former lightweight champion, Anthony Pettis (23-10), took to Instagram yesterday to call out former middleweight champion and pound for pound great, Anderson Silva (34-10-1).

The Prospective Matchup

I have to tell you, this is not the fight that I thought would be next for the 45-year-old Anderson Silva. Silva has gone through some rough times in his career after losing his title to Chris Weidman back at UFC 162. Silva suffered a devastating injury in their second fight, and since then, he’s gone 1-4-1 in six fights. It is very clear that Silva is not the same guy, but he still has the passion to keep fighting. Silva has gone out recently and talked about fighting a former lightweight champion, but that was Conor McGregor. Silva said that he would cut down in order to meet McGregor at a weight that was more in the middle. Then out of no where, Pettis says that he wants to be the man to fight “The Spider” next.

“Showtime” is coming off of a very close decision win over Cowboy Cerrone back at UFC 249. The win snapped a two-fight losing streak for Pettis. The former lightweight champion was on his way to superstardom back in 2013. He even found himself as a cover athlete for Wheaties. Since then, he’s gone 5-8 in the UFC. Now, he’s fought some of the best guys in the world, but it’s been very clear that Pettis is no longer considered one of the absolute best fighters in the UFC. He did turn a lot of heads with his knockout win over Stephen Thompson, but he followed that win with back to back losses.

Would the UFC make this fight happen?

When you think about it, there is nothing about this fight that makes sense. Pettis is coming off of a win at 170 pounds, but his natural weight class is 155. He would be fighting 30 pounds above his natural class. Silva is a much bigger man who has fought during his career at 205 pounds. When you look at the two men, they don’t look like they belong in the octagon together. Size wise, it would resemble when BJ Penn fought Lyoto Machida years ago. I can’t exactly see the UFC jumping to make this fight, but crazier things have happened.

If this fight does come together, I really don’t see how Pettis would win unless he stops Silva. While Silva is clearly not the same guy he used to be, he’s just one fight removed from putting up an extremely competitive fight with current middlweight champion, Israel Adesanya. If Pettis and Silva fought, I think Silva would have the massive advantage. Silva does incredible work from the clinch, and we’ve seen Pettis get tired whenever a fight included a lot of clinch work. I think Silva would be the sizable betting favorite in this fight if it was to materialize. Would it be fun? Sure, it would be a lot of fun to watch. Do I think it will realistically happen? At the moment, I can’t see it, but given the current landscape of the UFC, you never know.