Anderson Silva

Anderson Silva proves why he’s one of the best fighters in MMA

(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on July 22, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

In the last couple of pieces I’ve written about Anderson Silva, I have been highly critical of him mainly because of his last two title defenses against Thales Leites and Patrick Cote. In both fights, Silva had been less-than-stellar, and the fans’ displeasure showed— booing and jeering him in the course of the fights up until the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. However, I must admit now that I had miscalculated immensely on my criticisms. Silva’s last performance left me eating a lot of crow with a generous helping of humble pie on the side.

Why?

Well, Silva toying with his last two opponents was not so much to assert his superiority and to embarrass them as to show his frustration and make a point that they didn’t want to engage with him. To put it simply, it wasn’t entirely his fault. It takes two to tango. Styles make fights. In Silva’s last couple of fights before facing former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin, the Spider did not have a willing dance partner. Both guys didn’t fight to win, they fought to survive, and nobody can really blame them. To last the distance against one of Mixed Martial Arts’ pound-for-pound best is a huge achievement in itself.

At UFC 101: Declaration last Saturday, August 8 at the Wachovia Center in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Griffin proved to be a more than willing dance partner and he paid dearly for it. He opted to slug it out with Silva, and it certainly didn’t help that his mode of attack involved holding his chin up high instead of tucking it in while throwing arm punches that were as slow as molasses.

Silva shrugged off the few punches that landed for Griffin while deftly avoiding most of the fists that flew around him, hitting nothing but air. Then Silva struck, and Griffin got knocked down. Griffin gamely stood back up on his feet and tried to retaliate only to absorb another punch on the chin and suffer another knockdown. The end came with Griffin wildly and rather amateurishly swinging at Silva, and the latter, while backing up, unleashed a short, popping right jab that caught Griffin flush. Griffin dropped so hard to the mat that the referee did not even bother to administer the count and immediately waved him off.

A couple of things immediately came to my mind after the brutal and humiliating knockout. One, Griffin was the naturally bigger guy and Silva annihilated him. Silva’s lanky and wiry frame is more suited to 185 pounds and the weight gain was evident in that one could obviously see the reigning UFC Middleweight Champion sporting a visible paunch where rock-hard, six-pack abs should have been. Even so, none of this mattered anyway because of the ease with which Silva dispatched the always dangerous Griffin.

Two, Silva has practically cleaned out the 185-pound division and it’s a bit scary to consider that he could possibly clean out the light heavyweight division as well despite being a natural middleweight and having just a couple of fights at 205 pounds under his belt. Two fights, by the way, that both ended in stoppage victories. And can you imagine a super fight that would involve Silva and fellow Brazilian Lyoto Machida? I hope UFC President Dana White holds true to his word and make the fight happen, regardless of the fact that both Silva and Machida vowed never to square off against each other inside the Octagon.

One last note on the Silva – Griffin fight: Personally, I’m not buying the rumors circulating that the fight was fixed. What would Griffin gain by throwing the fight away? The simple explanation would be that Silva had just too much talent, too much skill, and too much firepower for Griffin to handle. Perhaps the embarrassment and humiliation of the brutal knockout was also too much for Griffin to handle, as he immediately stormed off the Octagon – without even bothering to get interviewed by Rogan – towards the locker rooms with his entourage in tow.

After Silva’s performance, the fans at the Wachovia Center did not dare boo him during the post-fight interview. They simply weren’t in the position to do so. Everyone witnessed one of the all time greats ply his trade with a combination of brutal ferocity, expert skill, and fine-spun finesse. Right now Silva is in a class by himself. It was just one of those nights where Silva once again proved why he is currently one of the best fighters in MMA.

Penn’s reign

I always thought that BJ Penn bit off more than he could chew by moving up and challenging reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. As superbly talented and gifted a fighter as Penn is, St-Pierre’s combination of raw strength, power, and unparalleled conditioning is just a bad match up for the Prodigy and it showed in the two fights that they figured in, the first bout being a closer one notwithstanding.

Down at lightweight, though, it’s a totally different story. At 155, the Prodigy is at the top of the food chain, the unrivaled predator. And the co-main event between Penn and Kenny Florian proved just that. Props to Florian, a great competitor and worthy adversary, for trying his best to grab the belt from Penn, but he was just overwhelmed by the pure fighting skills of the Hawaiian. At first I thought that Florian’s approach of trying to clinch with Penn and subsequent attempts to take him down was a good strategy, perhaps because Florian believed that he was at a disadvantage on the stand up. However, I was dead wrong as Florian couldn’t successfully take down Penn. On the contrary, the lone successful takedown in the fight was done by Penn, which eventually led to a submission victory via rear-naked choke at 3:54 of the fourth round as the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion retained his belt.

With that said, I honestly don’t see anyone at the lightweight ranks right now that could take Penn’s belt away from him. His last loss at the 155 weight division was seven years ago against Jens Pulver at UFC 35: Throwdown, which he later avenged at the Ultimate Fighter 5 Finale by submitting Pulver.

Penn, like Silva, is at the top of his game right now. It’s going to be a long reign for one of the most naturally-gifted warriors MMA has ever seen.

Anderson Silva fought, won, and was found wanting

(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on May 13, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

I don’t know what the other MMA fans were thinking as they watched the main event of UFC 97: Redemption almost a month ago, but as for me, at the start of the third round, I was thinking, just what exactly in heaven’s name was Anderson Silva doing?

Sure, it takes two to tango. Sure, Thales Leites – with his jiu-jitsu background and his less-than-stellar striking skills – didn’t take the fight to Silva. Sure, the guy kept dropping down to the mat in a rather cowardly fashion whenever Silva would press the action and unleash some of his brutal strikes. But that doesn’t give Silva the license to play around and showboat in front of thousands of spectators who shelled out hard-earned cash to witness a good fight.

Especially since Silva could have ended the fight any time he wanted to. In fact, he hurt Leites with a few good shots in the course of the fight. He could have pressured Leites and gone in and knocked the guy out just to give the crowd what they wanted.

Alas, Silva had other plans. Instead, the boring fight ended with a lopsided unanimous decision win for Silva.

In the end, the fight fans in Montreal, Quebec, Canada went home disappointed. But not before showing their disapproval by booing the fighters and repeatedly chanting the acronym of the name of their hometown MMA hero, Georges St.-Pierre.

I’ve written a couple of previous pieces regarding Silva’s penchant to toy with his opponents especially if he thinks they are inferior, so I don’t want to belabor the point (and yes, in my book at least, punching the other guy in the leg and doing fancy leg sweeps do count as “toying with your opponent”) anymore.

However, I did point out that Silva should move up to light heavyweight if Dana White cannot give him anything but tomato cans at middleweight.

That’s exactly what will happen in Silva’s next fight, as he is slated to face former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and number two rated MMA light heavyweight fighter Forrest Griffin at UFC 101.

After two straight lackluster title defenses by Silva, I’m pretty confident that this time he cannot, and should not, dismiss Griffin. Silva toys with the guy and he just might get knocked out. Who knows? Maybe that’s just what the doctor ordered for Silva to regain his hunger for the game.

So far, Silva has won all his nine fights in the UFC. That’s pretty incredible. And it seems he is firm in his decision to retire after his contract is over. I just hope that Silva would be professional enough to give his best in all of his remaining fights to be fair to his fans.

The End of an Era

I honestly thought Chuck Liddell had just enough left in the tank to defeat Mauricio Rua, but sadly, I was wrong. Kudos to Rua, however, that was a perfectly-timed left hook to the jaw. But you still can’t ignore the fact that practically, Liddell’s reflexes are all but gone, and so is his chin and ability to take a punch. If this is indeed the end of a great career, thanks for the memories and the great fights, Chuck. The hall of fame beckons.

Silva should move up to light heavyweight

(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on April 3, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

On April 18, Anderson Silva will be back in the Octagon to take on fellow Brazilian Thales Leites at UFC 97.

The question is, which Anderson Silva will show up?

Will it be the lethal, cold-blooded, and efficient fighting machine that destroyed the likes of Chris Leben, Rich Franklin, and Dan Henderson? Or will it be the mercurial, seemingly-bored and uninspired fighter that toyed with Patrick Cote five months ago?

In a previous article (Another year for Pacquiao, Silva to prove doubters wrong), I mentioned that Silva did what he did in his last fight because I believed he felt that Cote wasn’t a worthy enough opponent: ”I attribute Silva’s less-than-stellar showing in his last outing to boredom. He has fought every possible contender in his weight class, annihilated every one of them, and he needs to step it up. Maybe Dana White should consider putting Chuck Liddell in the Octagon opposite Silva? Or how about the winner of the upcoming George St.-Pierre – BJ Penn fight? The point is, as good a fighter as Silva is, he needs to be fighting top contenders instead of tomato cans for him to be challenged. Give him an opponent who he knows could hurt him and even take him out, and Silva wouldn’t even think of toying with the other guy. I guarantee you’ll see the old Silva back in action.

I said it then, I say it now. Silva’s performance will depend on whether he thinks Leites will be an opponent of caliber worth taking seriously. That said, fight fans, and even Dana White should keep their fingers crossed. I, for one, am keeping my fingers crossed as well. I want to see the old Silva back in action; I want to enjoy an exciting fight. Who doesn’t?

In any case, I think Silva had better take Leites seriously.

Fifteen fights, 14 wins, one lone loss. Nine wins by submission, two by knockout. Five straight wins in a row. Yes, Leites’s record speaks for itself. He isn’t a fighter Silva can just brush off or dismiss; he’s a

legitimate livewire opponent. So I have a feeling that Silva will indeed bring his “A” game come fight night.

I also believe that depending on the outcome of the fight, it’s time for Silva to move up permanently to the light heavyweight division. Silva once tested the division’s waters a year ago and knocked out James Irvin in the first round.

Maybe a move up to light heavyweight will keep Anderson Silva hungry, and, more importantly the fight fans happy.

Liddell’s last stand

Speaking about hunger, in a previous article (Last Stand for the Iceman), I wrote about Chuck Liddell’s losses of late and speculated that it might have something to do with his diminishing hunger for the game: “Many people will point to Liddell’s age as one of the factors that has contributed to his slump as of late. His last two losses have been dealt by Evans and Jardine, fighters much younger and fresher than him. But I suspect that it is more than age that has resulted in Liddell’s recent losses. I see a fighter that has reached the pinnacle of success and has become complacent, a fighter that has lost his hunger and drive as a result. In order to be on top again, Liddell has to go back to the basics and find the hunger to do what he does best, and that is to fight.”

A reader was gracious enough to comment on my write up: “I think Chuck is one of the greats for sure, but I think his days on top are over, along with many of the greats. I think it’s a combination of age and not having the hunger to fight anymore but I think the world of MMA has also hit a new level. Some of the new guns on the show are just flat out better, faster, and stronger. With MMA growing so fast and becoming so popular we are seeing a lot more faces in the ring, most of them with a huge background of talent that is soon going to outshine all of our old favorites. Like I said I’m not trying to bash Chuck, he’s one of my favorites but we are seeing the out with the old and in with the new stage of MMA, time to see new Joes become greats.”

Liddell vs. Mauricio Rua will be UFC 97’s co-main event. And in my opinion, this will be Liddell’s last chance to show if he still has what it takes to be an elite, top caliber fighter, his age notwithstanding. Who knows? Perhaps Liddell can turn back time and pull off one impressive win just for old times’ sake.

Perhaps the Iceman might just give one more vintage performance to make a believer once again out of our dear reader?

If not, then maybe, just maybe, it’s time for Liddell to finally hang up the MMA gloves, enjoy his retirement, and look back on a storied, successful career.

Another year for Pacquiao, Silva to prove doubters wrong

(This piece appeared in 8CountNews on January 9, 2009)

by Mark Lorenzana

After three successful fights in as many weight classes last year (first when he eked out a split decision over Juan Manuel Marquez, second when he annihilated David Diaz to win the WBC world lightweight title, and third, his eight round drubbing of Oscar De La Hoya) Manny Pacquiao is the consensus 2008 fighter of the year among boxing writers and pundits.

Thanks to his fantastic showing, Pacquiao is in perfect position to enjoy even more lucrative fights this year. First on the list is Ricky Hatton, who has been salivating at the prospect of fighting the Filipino ever since the Pacquiao — De La Hoya fight pushed through. Should Pacquiao defeat Hatton, the most logical opponent would be Floyd Mayweather Jr. And if Pacquiao chooses to fight three times this year– win or lose against Floyd Jr. — he can have a farewell bout at the end of the year (perhaps a third fight with Marquez at Jr. Welterweight?) before hanging up his gloves.

Of course when we say fighter of the year, we should also look beyond prizefighting and take a look at the best among the practitioners of Mixed Martial Arts.

I don’t know if Anderson Silva is the consensus MMA fighter of the year, but I do know that in my book he is. The Spider showed that he is still the man to beat at middleweight when he won via submission over Dan Henderson in March. A lot of people believed that Silva’s reign as UFC Middleweight Champion would come to an end against a dangerous, skilled, and experienced fighter such as Henderson. But Silva once again proved his critics wrong.

Silva then climbed up to light heavyweight and took on James Irvin. Not a few wondered how Silva would handle the extra weight, not to mention how he would fare against a bigger opponent. Silva knocked out Irvin in 61 seconds.

However, Silva’s last fight for 2008 against Patrick Cote left a bad taste in some fans’ mouths. Instead of going for the kill early, Silva appeared to be toying with Cote. He didn’t show his usual deadly form, much to Dana White’s chagrin. The fight ended quite unfortunately when Cote blew out his knee and the referee was forced to put an end to the fight.

I attribute Silva’s less-than-stellar showing in his last outing to boredom. He has fought every possible contender in his weight class, annihilated every one of them, and he needs to step it up. Maybe Dana White should consider putting Chuck Liddell in the Octagon opposite Silva? Or how about the winner of the upcoming George St.-Pierre – BJ Penn fight? The point is, as good a fighter as Silva is, he needs to be fighting top contenders instead of tomato cans for him to be challenged. Give him an opponent who he knows could hurt him and even take him out, and Silva wouldn’t even think of toying with the other guy. I guarantee you’ll see the old Silva back in action.

In Pacquiao’s case, it has always been and will always be, proving other people wrong. Nobody gave him a shot to beat Lehlo Ledwaba, everyone thought Marco Antonio Barrera would school him in their first fight, boxing experts thought Erik Morales’s length and reach would be too much for him, and lastly, majority of the sports and boxing media thought the Dream Match was a farce and a huge mismatch.

Of course Pacquiao, as recent history has told us, cut through all of these opponents (and then some) like a hot knife through butter. Or, more appropriately, like a violent, ravaging Pacific storm through a sleepy seaside town.

Do I hear Erik Morales recently making noises about how Ricky Hatton will flatten Pacquiao? What, Pacquiao will go down in the sixth or seventh round because he will tire and lose steam?

With all due respect to Morales, a great champion and future hall-of-famer, since when did anyone of us see Pacquiao tire? Heck, the Pacman can easily give the Energizer Bunny a run for its money. Hatton, on the other hand, has had stamina problems in the past, of which, perhaps can be attributed to his hard living in between fights. Hatton is tough, a strong body puncher, and he has knockout power in both fists. But stamina is not one of his strong suits. He is a good pressure fighter for the early to middle rounds but for the rest of the fight he plods along and holds. Whether Hatton can outhustle, outwork, and finally overpower Pacquiao remains to be seen. But I dare go on the record here and say that I highly doubt it. I believe it will be the other way around.

For Pacquiao and Silva, the year 2009 will be one of the most important years of their careers. And it is not just because it is another year to earn more money through the hurt business. More importantly, another year is upon them to show to the world that they can continue to fight the best, stay on top, and prove the critics wrong.

Again.