Anderson Silva Is 200% Healthy; Still Wants Frank Mir
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 15, 2009 4:00 PM EDT
in MMA News
Email
Print
"I don’t know anything at all about any elbow injury," he said, adding with a laugh, "I wonder who hurt me?"
...
"I’m 200 percent healthy and there’s no injury. UFC can set the next fight whenever they want, I’m ready. I’m interested in fighting Frank Mir. He can be the next one," he says.
I'm really getting turned off by Anderson's whole weight class jumping thing. I wrote a lot about the mess that is the UFC's middleweight division and having a champion who is fighting in every division except the weight class he is champion of is only serving to make things worse.
Frank Mir, meanwhile, continues to keep himself directly in the spotlight now having Anderson Silva, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, and Cheick Kongo all wanting to fight him. It's amazing how far a little bit of trash talk can take a guy in this sport.
169 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
I don't think destroy was the word you were looking for.
I think you were going for vaporize.
by Screwface on Sep 15, 2009 4:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The UFC is waiting to see who wins Cro Cop/Dos Santos
If Cro Cop wins, Nog/Cro Cop 2 is without a doubt. If Dos Santos wins they might switch everything up.
If Dos Santos wins I would switch things up and do these matches.
Nog/Mir 2
Gonzaga/Dos Santos
Cro Cop/Kongo 2 but only if Cro Cop looks decent in the Dos Santos fight.
As for Silva if I was in his shoes I would’ve took on both Hendo and Marquadt and Belfort if he beats Franklin.
If I am Dana White I would simply let Anderson go box RJJ if he agree’s to a contract extension.
And if Mir would beat Nog again, I’d like to see the Mir/Lesnar rubber match. If for no other reason, I like seeing Mir get his face broken…
by Screwface on Sep 15, 2009 4:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Awesome. Let’s keep having one of the most dominant champions in all of MMA keep fighting above his weight class in fights that serve only to derail his opponents’ title aspirations.
BOOSH
I mean that Silva will beat the majority of the guys at LHW, thereby stopping them from getting a title shot. But he himself won’t fight the champ in LHW.
BOOSH
Not everything is about a belt. I just like to watch Silva fight.
"Japan is half-Machida" - iiowyn
by Day Man on Sep 15, 2009 5:27 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
So you like meaningless matches that are just done for Silva’s bank account as opposed to the actual structure that makes up the sport?
That’s an ignorant post. First of all I could just flip the question around and say “so you’re more interested in the structure of the sport in spite of more interesting matches?” But I wouldn’t do that because I know that some like the structure, and some aren’t as attached to it.
The fight wouldn’t happen if it was only for Silva’s bank account. The money that goes into his account is originated by his hundreds of thousands of clamouring fans; enthralled to witness a rare talent that transcends the structure of the sport. It’s a unique time that a middleweight would conceivably be a favorite over top-rated heavies. The middleweight belt will always be there and there’ll always be fighters clamoring for it. Right now I say to Hell with that for now, I’d rather witness history.
Anderson Silva vs Frank Mir is history being made? Seriously? It’s a meaningless fight for both fighters, it’s not even a classic “super-fight” like Penn vs GSP it’s just Anderson Silva picking a heavyweight to challenge (probably because of the Nog connection). Hell if you want to witness history why not Silva vs Big Nog? Why not Middleweight belt vs Light-Heavyweight belt? That would be history in the making, fighting Frank Mir would just be for shits and giggles and would mean very little in terms of the actual sport.
As far as flipping it around no you are wrong there, the structure of the sport is the sport. The whole reason it is set up into weight classes with belts is to show who is the best in a weight class. The business side is about popping buyrates and making money but the sport side is about proving who is the best by winning championships. I don’t mind the occasional “super-fight” but with Anderson Silva we just had one of those a couple of months ago, if he does a second outside his weight super-fight at the end of the year then nearly a year will of gone by before he gets around to defending the middleweight belt again. If he doesn’t want to fight at middleweight then I have no problem with him moving up a weight class but if he isn’t going to actually defend that belt(which it is his responsibility to do) then he needs to just give it up and move on to what he wants to do.
It took over a year for Penn to defend his lightweight belt and people had a fit (at least Penn had history as a former welterweight world champion too going into the GSP fight), why would this be any different? Defend the belt or allow the division to get on without you and move up in weight permanently to get to these other big fights, either one would make me happy but putting the middleweight division on hold while Anderson Silva fights a second out of weight class fight is a bit much.
Silva has dominated his division for way too long. Name one guy in his division that is worth watching. He’s beaten everyone. Why not let him fight whoever he wants at whatever weight class he wants.
Who doesn’t want to see Silva fight to his limits? Who cares about the belt? Even if he vacates the title, it won’t mean anything because whoever claims the title has already been beaten by the former champ.
Well that is a good argument for why he should just give up the belt and leave the middleweight division behind but doesn’t really say why he should make the division wait while he keeps the belt and runs off to do another out of weight class fight.
Who cares about the belt? Well unless it is being defended it does lose it’s value which takes value away from the entire division of fighters which in the long run isn’t really good for the sport. I’ve got no problem with Silva going off and looking for challenges(heck I agree that he probably should) but he doesn’t need to leave a whole division in limbo while he basically uses the belt as an outfit accessory. He needs to shit or get off the pot, move to a higher weight class or just get down to defending the belt he already has, flip flopping back and forth doesn’t really help the situation.
Agreed but...
Agreed that Okami is a great fighter worth watching but unfortunately he’s no where near the level of Anderson.
As for nate and Henderson, Silva is trying to preserve his own career. Why should he give 2 guys a shot at being the champ when he beat them both in dominating fashion?
It’s the UFC’s responsibility to recruit new and better fighters in the division to keep it interesting. So what if he beats Nate and Dan again? Is he expected to give them a third try at it? The guy is in a tough spot. It’s not his fault he cleaned the division out.
Well if that’s the case then he should just give back the title belt and not fight at middleweight anymore. I mean it’s just that simple, if fights with the number two and number three top middleweights in the world isn’t interesting then what at middleweight is? I mean it’s not like Dan Henderson is a nobody, he was a MMA legend before most people even knew what MMA was and it was Silva beating Henderson that got people beating the drums as Silva being the pound for pound best fighter in the world. He’s not a push over, he’s been consistently ranked in top ten rankings for years now. If Dan Henderson isn’t good enough for Anderson Silva then there is no one in the division that is currently.
“If Dan Henderson isn’t good enough for Anderson Silva then there is no one in the division that is currently.”
Exactly. Even if Anderson gives up the belt….the next title holder will be a paper champion. It’s all effffed up man.
What’s worse a “paper champion” (that would in all likely hood be either Marquardt or Henderson, two of the best fighters in the sport in their own right)or a champion who doesn’t even fight in that weight class anymore? Do they just put the division in a lock down until Silva retires a year from now or not actually have a champion defending a belt at all during that time frame? I mean it’s going to be the same situation a year from now when the guy retires anyway, why not just let the fighter and the division get on with things now?
I understand what you’re saying about vacating the middleweight belt. But don’t say someone’s wrong when the topic is completely subjective. The belts exist for fights and fighters, not the other way around. It’s only a symbol that supposedly acts as a motivator to create the fights. If you didn’t have the belts but you still had the great fights, would you watch? Now, if you had the belts but you didn’t have the fights, would you watch that? Checkmate. I understand that it’s subjective. I have a hard time believing that someone would be interested in a league with belts but no fighters and fights. The structure is there, but the fights aren’t.
So then are you sure that the structure is the sport? It’s a symbol like money. Money isn’t everything, the stuff it represents is. Money is just paper symbolizing something else. As it is with belts. Would everyone want money if it didn’t buy anything. Would you want belts and structure if it didn’t bring along great fights with it? The structure is only a convenience for fights. I’ll take it, but I’m more for the fights themselves.
As for Mir, name me one middleweight that would last a round with Mir, much less be the favorite? The guy has a win over the current champion, and he has a win over a legend. Rationalize those all you want, Mir is definitely upper echelon heavyweight.
And I agree with you about GSP, he’s high class, but his weightclass doesn’t bore him like Anderson. Anderson toys with his opponents like they’re little kids. GSP doesn’t do that. He uses hard work and focus and discipline to grind out wins (Penn, Fitch, and Alves). The only people he’s beaten similar to Silva is Penn and Hughes, and even those aren’t quite the same. I just don’t think the comparison works.
See the reason I said that is because it’s not opinion or subjective it is the facts about how the sport (and all sports for that matter) are structured. It’s about finding out who is the best and the way you prove that is to be a champion. It’s not just opinion about what is important it is what has been the focus of sports for as long as people have been competing against each other.
I never said Mir was anything at all I was just commenting on how that fight is pretty meaningless. It’s not a super-fight it’s just a fight.
Sure, but being a champion only exists to create good competition. Good competition means good fights. If there was a better way to get good fights, they’d scrap the belts and do it that way. It’s ultimately about the fights, not the belt (for most people at least).
????
Being a champion exist to show who is the champion, it is a symbol of who has proved themselves to be the best. Be it a belt or a gold medal or a super bowl trophy or a Master’s green jacket it’s a symbol of proving you are the best at what you do. It isn’t about creating competition it’s about proving you are above the competition. It isn’t just some prop to generate interesting fights it is built into the very essence of what sports and competition are about.
I mean there is a reason they keep a record of who wins and who loses the fights, it’s not about creating competition it’s about proving who is the better fighter. That is the sport.
Well, the fight is ultimately about proving who the better fighter is, not the title.
Again, those things are great, but they’re meaningless symbols without the performances behind them. They’re nothing without the performances. Would you rather see Phelps recieve a medal in the ceremony, or watch him swim and win the race?
And again I’m only calling my point of view. Some love the symbols just as much as what they represent (such as yourself). The belts are the product in and of themselves. I’m okay with that because we all have our own subjective response. My own opinion, I think the belts are necessary, but aren’t in and of themselves anything compared to the fights that are generated as a result.
Except that they're not
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 16, 2009 8:38 AM EDT up reply actions
He's not going to fight Mir
Dana doesn’t want it so it’s not happening. He needs to fight the winner of Hendo/Marquardt.
"I will do nothing lightly. When I walk, I will walk heavily. When I fight, I will fight with conviction. When I speak, I will speak strongly. When I love, I will love with everything"
Dana stepped back from that comment about Anderson never going to heavyweight. He basically said he has to clear out 205 first.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Sep 15, 2009 4:18 PM EDT up reply actions
Is there even anyone in the 205 division that can have a good match without getting destroyed by Silva? Is has been established many times that he will not fight Machida so who else is there? Only one that sticks out in my mind is Evans, also like Bones but he is not to that level yet.
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Dana is basically hinting that Silva would have to put his friendship aside and fight Machida if he really wants to go to heavyweight, which isn’t happening ever according to Soares.
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Sep 15, 2009 4:27 PM EDT up reply actions
So Silva vs Evans and Silva vs Couture? =0)
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 4:39 PM EDT up reply actions
honestly, having silva go right to HW is probably where the best action and best result for the fans is…
against griffin he showed that he is a perfectly good sized LHW. who in that division is going to beat him? i dunno if anyone but machida could do it.
regardless of what will happen, silva at HW is probably what would pique my interest more than anything else.
Don’t see how him going to HW would be where the best action is, it’s the worst division in the UFC and him beating the top competition in it wouldn’t mean to much, I mean what good fights for him would there be there outside of Mir? Doubtful he would fight Nog, Cro Crop wouldn’t be to bad i suppose but thats about it.
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 6:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, Kongo, Big Nose, Cain, and Brock would all be horribly boring fights for Anderson.
by Screwface on Sep 15, 2009 11:40 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Are you at all familiar with the UFC’s HW division?
by Screwface on Sep 15, 2009 11:43 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
True
But he can’t clear out the division because he won’t fight Lyoto. I wonder if Lil Nog would fight Lyoto.
"I will do nothing lightly. When I walk, I will walk heavily. When I fight, I will fight with conviction. When I speak, I will speak strongly. When I love, I will love with everything"
I’m really getting turned off by Anderson’s whole weight class jumping thing.
Agreed. I am really finding Silva’s whole prima donna attitude really frustrating. He won’t fight at MW, he won’t fight Machida, but he’s happy beating up any other LHW and now wants to take on the HW division. I understand his motivations for big money fights and not wanting to fight his friend, but I think he should shit or get off the pot already. If he’s not going to fight in the MW division because he doesn’t perceive any of those fights as big money fights, or worth his time in general, then drop the belt and move permanently up. Let Nate and Hendo fight for the MW belt. I think Silva really needs to get “Matt Serra’d” and go through a loss of that depth in order for him to get off his pedestal.
I love me some Sexyama!
He won’t fight at MW
Get a grip . . . He will defend his title.
The President of the UFC COSIGNS his LHW fights.
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 4:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes, he will defend. but only when it is convenient for him. You look at a guy like GSP who will fight anyone the UFC puts in front of him. Then you look at Silva, who doesn’t believe he should fight either Nate or Hendo because 1) he already beat them before 2) doesn’t see them as big money matchups. I believe both Nate and Hendo deserve a rematch with Silva. I’m sure he’ll beat them both again, but that’s besides the point.
I love me some Sexyama!
Silva, who doesn’t believe he should fight either Nate or Hendo because 1) he already beat them before 2) doesn’t see them as big money matchups.
those sound like 2 legit reasons…
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Sep 15, 2009 4:42 PM EDT up reply actions
It is not a legit excuse at all when those two guys are the legitimate challengers for the Middleweight belt. The weight classes and the belts are the sport, the super fights are just them screwing around to try and sell a ppv. If Anderson Silva doesn’t want to fight in the middleweight divison then he needs to just give up the belt and move to light heavyweight full time.
I think that’s not besides the point, it’s exactly the point. Silva and everyone else knows what the outcome of that match is. I’m sort of curious about Marquardt, but Hendo has only gotten older since his first beating from Silva. I mean those matches weren’t even close. Look at Rich. He came back completely focused, coming off of great victories, I was looking forward to see if Rich could come up with something, but nope, if Rich brought up his game, Silva simply upped his on ante even more.
Gsp, so far, has fought guys that had long winning streaks and hadn’t fought GSP before. Both the Fitch and the Alves fights weren’t givens either. Comparing GSP and Silva is apples and oranges. This is not to mention that GSP has only had 1 stoppage in his last 3 defenses. It’s pretty obvious that Silva doesn’t worry about stoppages.
If Anderson Silva doesn’t want/need to fight the guys who have earned title shots again then he should just leave the division and move up to light heavyweight permanently. We don’t know how those rematches would turn out, heck to find out is the whole reason we have the fights to begin with. Guys fight rematches all the time, even when the first fight was decisive. I can understand both those guys being the underdog going into a fight with Silva but if he is really that untouchable in his own division then all the more reason for him to give up the belt and move to light heavyweight permanently.
As far as GSP goes, he does fight whomever they put in front of him regardless of if he thinks they will be a big draw or not. When have we ever heard of GSP passing on a fight or turning down a event because it might not get a big enough PPV buyrate?
Why would he vacate the belt when he doesn’t have to?
So they can have a paper champion there?
I’d rather see a motivated Silva fighting than him unmotivated to defend.
by MickDawg on Sep 15, 2009 11:42 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Why did Hughes rematch GSP? Hughes dominated that first fight, there was nothing for him to gain by fighting GSP again.
by Screwface on Sep 15, 2009 11:48 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
If Anderson Silva isn’t fighting at middleweight anymore than what’s the point of him keeping it? Better a paper champion than a champion who doesn’t even fight in that weight class anymore. Besides Silva says he is retiring in three fights if he’s not going to defend that belt he might as well give it back and save himself some hassle down the road.
If he doesn't defend at all...
Then I would say that’s an issue.
But when you clean out the division like he has…
He deserves to choose to fight only the true #1 contender when one emerges.
I think Silva will have no problem fighting the winnder of Marquardt/Henderson.
by MickDawg on Sep 16, 2009 2:01 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
The UFC can strip him of the title if they want.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
Okay I hear you. It’d probably be the right thing to do to vacate the belt, and then win it back if he wanted to down the line. I guess I take exception to the meaningless comments. Those fights may be meaningless to you, but to me, as a fan, it’s why I love watching the sport.
Being meaningless and being great to watch are two entirely different subjects. Look at the Super-Hulk tournament in Dream, those fights and that tournament is utterly without meaning to the sport of MMA but damn it’s fun to watch and talk about.
Anderson beating heavyweights isn’t meaningless to me. They’re steps to him solidifying himself as the greatest fighter ever.
Then he needs to fight a legendary heavyweight instead of Frank Mir. Lets face it the only reason for picking on Mir was because of the rivalry with Big Nog, if he is wanting to solidify his legend go after someone who is already a legend like Cro Cop or Randy Couture or just go right after the belt and challenge Lesnar but as good as Frank Mir is he is still Frank Mir, there are a heck of a lot better “super-fights” out there for Anderson Silva (would anyone even call a fight with Mir a super-fight?). I mean if that is the point to this then why just go half way with it? Obviously he won’t challenge a legend like Nogueira but there are plenty of other legendary fighters and/or world champions for him to fight that would actually mean something at least as far as a legacy goes. Even though it would be an interesting fight to watch Mir is just another win (or loss) on his record, not to mention Dana White has already said it isn’t going to happen, why does he even keep pushing it?
So he’ll defend the title, he just refuses to fight that top 2 contenders? Doesn’t make much sense.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
I’m sure he will eventually fight one of the two or give up the title and have meaningless money matches before he calls it quits.
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 4:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t see the UFC just letting him ditch the title unless he signs an extension- the only way they can hold him to the champions clause is if he still has the belt.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
See I think that is the real issue. Anderson really wants to drop the title, but the UFC won’t let him because then they lose the championship clause. That is unless he’s willing to fight Machida where he would then leave on a loss( if he decides to go through with his “retirement” plan) , proving Machida is the better fighter, or win the LHW title and then the championship clause kicks right back in.
He can retire with the belt championship clause or not, that is irrelevant and the retirement clause is in effect whether there is a belt or not. The Championship clause only affects if Anderson Silva is wanting to go fight MMA for another company (does anyone think Silva is going to Strikeforce?). I don’t see wherethe championship clause would be an issue at all in this situation.
I don’t believe it’s just MMA, it covers all combat sports if I recall correctly.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 15, 2009 8:08 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Also, I’ve lately come to the conclusion that Silva feels slighted. He’s obsessed with fighting RJJ partly because he looks at the huge boxing salaries and thinks “that should be me”. I think – and really it’s just based on a hunch, no hard evidence – that Silva is planning to pull a Fedor-Couture. In other worlds, after he gets out of the UFC he wants the ability not only to fight RJJ with a huge cut, but also set up a future fight were he gets to keep a big cut of ppv. Is it realistic? No? But then again, you can’t help but wonder what some of these guys are thinking when they see that they’re sport is more popular yet boxers are pulling in $10-20 mil in a fight.
Roy Jones Jr. IS NOT pulling the numbers that he used to pull when he fought for HBO.
Not to mention I seriously doubt Anderson Silva vs. Roy Jones Jr. will be able to really garner interest outside die hard boxing and mma fans. There are many passive boxing fans that don’t know Roy is still fighting.
I say that to say, I doubt Anderson Silva is talking about fighting Roy Jones Jr. strictly for the money when he can possibly pursue the top guys who rank higher than RJJ.
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 8:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Well it’s not like most boxers are pulling that kind of money, especially not RJJ at this point in his career. People have a bunch of hunches about a bunch of stuff but honestly it’s all just opinion from all of us, we just don’t know what actually goes through fighter’s heads.
What we do know is that Silva vs RJJ in boxing isn’t going to make Anderson Silva that kind of huge payday at this point and he has to know that too. That’s probably why he always talks about the challenge of it. I guess he may think he can run off and be a huge boxing star but you know maybe he has been telling the truth all along and he just wants to retire to his life of leisure with all the millions he has already made from his fighting career and gyms too. Besides if he really was worried about the championship clause then he could just ditch the belt now and move up to light-heavyweight for his last three fights but it’s been his manager that stated he wasn’t going to give the belt up.
That’s probably why he always talks about the challenge of it.
And maybe that’s it. Because he’s been consistently stating the same thing. He’s been consistently talking about completing his contract to the fullest. He’s been talking about retiring, competing at LHW and being challenged. The UFC then gave him James Irvin*, Cote, and Leites.
*Irvin was not the Joe Silva’s first choice, 4 other fighters said no, I’ll pass. Okami got injured, so he ended up with Cote – who was not 100%. Leites was available with a decent record, but no heart. He gets booed, criticized for his performances, and then finally he gets a solid challenge at LHW with Griffin.
Randy stated he would like to face Silva, Mir would love to rip his arms out of the socket . . . yet some pundits are bitching this dude is arrogant and cocky?? I really can’t blame Ed Soares for his position.
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 8:46 PM EDT up reply actions
So instead of facing Dan Henderson to defend a belt he wants to face Frank Mir in a utterly meaningless fight that is only about poping a buyrate for the money. It’s not about arrogant and cocky it’s about completely meaningless fights done only for the money (say what you will about Cote and Leites and those fights they were both legitimate top middleweights that were about defending the belt). I’ve got no problem with Silva moving up in weight class it’s just that if he is going to do that he needs to actually do that instead of keeping the Middleweight division on hold. It’s not fair to the division he represents if other fighters are sitting on their butts waiting for title defenses that they have earned. Two fights in a row outside his division are just a bit much unless he is going to drop the title and move up permanently.
One it is all about the challenge.
In my opinion, the current MiddleWeight Champ versus the former HeavyWeight and (Interim) HeavyWeight champion Frank Mir would be meaningful to me.
There was no big problem when BJ Penn did it 3 times. He failed miserably the last time against GSP.
The LHW fights were obviously endorse by the UFC. If the UFC really felt a rematch with Henderson or Marquardt was really meaningful as you put it I believe a rematch would have been scheduled a long time ago.* Please re-read that. Note, like Florian, Marquardt and Henderson has to really convince Joe Silva that they’re a big deal.
- Marquardt could not stop Leites.
- Marquardt clearly eliminated Maia as a threat.
- Henderson could not stop Franklin, the former champ.
- Henderson clearly eliminated Bisping.
1. Tito Ortiz got a rematch because he has the marketing draw to make a fight “meaningful” and he beat all contenders.
2. GSP clearly demonstrated he deserved another shot at Hughes and Serra’s title . . . meaningful.
3. Florian removed any doubt that he was the #1 contender to face BJ Penn. That fight was meaningful.
4. Franklin got a rematch because he beat OKAMI a top MW throughout his UFC career and Jason MacDonald . . . not to mention – he was the former champ.
I believe there’s a reason why the UFC has not granted meaningful rematches against Silva. I don’t think they deem Silva-Henderson II or Silva-Marquardt II “meaningful” considering all the recent fights in the middle-weight division, not to mention Silva’s two forays into the LHW division.
. . . I’m talking out of my a** but you have to remember that his 2 successful LHW fights were Dana White-Joe Silva’s idea. Reportedly RANDY COUTURE will be granted a title shot if he defeats BRANDON VERA. I really hope that’s just a rumor.
Take note, SIlva does not intend to vacate his title.
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
1. If the UFC didn’t think the rematch with Silva and Henderson was meaningful then they would of never gone out there and said the winner of Henderson vs Bisping would be next in line for the shot. Likewise they would of never been discussing earning a title shot from his fight. The UFC was the source on those two guys deserving a shot at this time.
2. You are trying to present an argument as to why the Henderson and Marquardt fights aren’t appealing but if fights with the number two, number three (or number 4 for that matter)ranked Middleweights in the world is no longer appealing as a title defense then that’s a sign that Anderson Silva needs to just leave the division for good. I mean what’s the point of having him hang on to the belt if matching him up with the other top fighters at that weight in the world isn’t going to happen?
3. How is a fight with Mir actually meaningful? Think of it from Mir’s perspective, talk about a no win situation. If he beats Anderson Silva then people will just say it was because of the weight difference and if he loses then he is the heavyweight who lost to a middleweight. No outcome is meaningful to the heavyweight division unless Anderson Silva is going to drop the belt and move to heavyweight full time with the intent to challenge for that belt. The meaningful fight in heavyweight would be Mir vs Nog 2 not Mir vs Silva.
4. When did BJ do it three times? When BJ fought GSP people were grouching because there would be a year between lightweight title defenses and how Penn didn’t deserve the shot (even though he is a former UFC welterweight world champion). Penn has a history as champion at both weight classes and still since 2007 he’s only fought outside lightweight once (and caught flack for it). Not sure what your point is there?
5. I don’t care if it was Dana/Joe Silva/the Dali Lama that booked the light heavyweight fights. I’m not complaining about them nor do I think they were necessarily bad ideas, heck I don’t necessarily think it’s a bad idea for SIlva to move up in weight and take on other guys.
6. I know Silva doesn’t plan to vacate the title but if he is planning on holding on to it then he should be defending it, that’s the whole point of having it to start with. There is a responsibility to defend the belt not to just put it in a trophy case and go off to do something else.
Two fights in a row not defending that belt just isn’t right, defend it or give it up and move on. It’s not just something to hold up pants the belt has meaning (or at least it is supposed to), that meaning is lost if it’s not being fought for or at least a semi-regular basis.
Beat em both.
Okami or bust. There’s no one at 185 who can handle the mantle of BEST AT 185 since it involves beating Anderson Silva.
CONJECTURE
–noun
1. the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof.
2. an opinion or theory so formed or expressed; guess; speculation.
Who he would like to fight, and who he will fight are two different things. He didn’t care to fight Thales Leites, but did so anyway.
When the UFC figures out who should face Silva, then he will face them. YOU DO NOT have proof of outright refusal. Most of your statements are not based on something substantial. A suggestion by Ed Soares is not the will of the UFC, Dana White or Joe Silva.
See I think that is the real issue. Anderson really wants to drop the title,
Did you actually read some where that he stated this, OR are something some one else said. He specifically said (I’m paraphrading) Lyoto Machida is the LHW champion, that is his title.
In the end, what you think of feel Anderson Silva thinks, feels, should do, or wants to do is simply conjecture. More or less your opinion based on rumors floating around the net that eventually becomes fact AFTER it has been repeated again, and again, ad nauseum.
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 6:23 PM EDT up reply actions
Were you meaning to reply to someone else man?
I still would like to share a thought on this subject. The comments of social media are generally conjecture based on current information and rumors. This is the fun of fans gathering to share and discuss opinions and conjecture. Except its global.
That seems to be what most sites are based-on.
PS – the SD Kimbos are great!
Put this into PERSPECTIVE
1. Dana’s not a big fan of Silva at heavyweight, so don’t worry too much. It is just talk.
2. Frank Mir said he would gladly accept.
3. Let’s not forget there’s a UFC history of lighter guys fighting bigger guys. Gracie anyone?
4. Some fighters have been DUCKING Silva at 205, according to James Irvin. Not to mention Silva did beat the TOP 2 guys of the MW division AND the former LHW champion.
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
Forrest never successfully defended, so he wasn’t “really” the LHW champion.
Before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, I was only kidding.
by Screwface on Sep 15, 2009 4:24 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Forrest Beat Rampage
Forrest Beat Shogun.
Let’s get over it.
Let’s stop trying to re-write history.
Are we re-writing the definition of a champion now?
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 6:12 PM EDT up reply actions
A lot of people...
have had the definition of “you aren’t REALLY champion until you defend the belt”
Editor - BloodyElbow.com - SBNation's mixed martial arts headquarters.
by Brent Brookhouse on Sep 15, 2009 7:10 PM EDT up reply actions
I never understood that. They don’t give you the belt after you defend it the first time. They give it to you after you beat the champ.
"I will do nothing lightly. When I walk, I will walk heavily. When I fight, I will fight with conviction. When I speak, I will speak strongly. When I love, I will love with everything"
Yeah, I never really understood this, but many fighters themselves believe in this.
I love me some Sexyama!
While some fighters believe that you’re not the real champion unless you successfully defended the title once it still does not discount the fact that you toppled the former champion. Forrest Griffin CLEARLY exposed a serious hole in Rampage game, only to be further exploited by Keith Jardine who was not as successful.
Look, if Shane Carwin defeats Brock Lesnar . . . make no mistake about it, Shane Carwin will be recognized and loved as the new UFC Heavyweight Champion. Being the champion is not predicated upon being able to defend the belt 1,2 or 5 times . . . that just makes you a good or great champion a-la GSP and Anderson Silva.
Examples:BJ Penn defeated Matt Hughes, he became the champion, received the glory. That is accepted. He stopped Hughes well before it became fashionable.
Randy Couture wins the LHW title* by defeating Ortiz. Loses it to Belfort. Regains the title and then loses it again to Chuck Liddell. NEVER actually defending the title successfully . . . but he definitely receives more than his share of the glory AND the purse. * I understand he defeated Liddell for the “interim” title – yeah, whatever.
We all understand the whole GSP-Matt Serra-GSP episode. At the end of the day, Matt Serra handed GSP his second loss in the Octagon. Period. While it was viewed as a fluke, luck, etc. he still shocked the world and stopped the champ. GSP accepts this and understands the loss made him a better fighter.
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions
That’s impossible. No one can give more than one hundred percent. By definition that is the most anyone can give…
Fedor’s stoic demeanor gives 1000%
Follow me on Twitter @lelandroling
"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
by Leland Roling on Sep 15, 2009 4:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Chuck Norris...
Is not bound by the laws of infinity.
"We'll show up tomorrow and do the same thing we try to do every day, Kick Pedroia's ass in cribbage and try and win a baseball game."
by tito (eight and oh) on Sep 15, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Infinity is bound by the laws of Chuck Norris.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 15, 2009 4:30 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
I swear I've seen Mir's style of striking before...
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Sep 15, 2009 6:14 PM EDT up reply actions
Normally I would have a problem with weight class jumping, but not here.
Silva is too good, needs challenges, and should not waste maybe the last fights of his career on rematches.
I agree, but man is Nathan Marquardt a different fighter now than what he was. Nathan looked solid against Anderson till he got caught, I really think a Rematch between the two should really happen.
Absolutely...
I’m much more interested in him fighting Marquardt than Hendo. Still, these guys have had their shot, let them really earn the second while Anderson takes on interesting challenges in other weightclasses. Lets face it, a guy like Anderson doesn’t come along very often, and I’d rather him fight the craziest fights possible than beat the same guys up over and over.
Nate didn't get caught..
He got thrashed..
Silva beat him every spot the fight went.. It’s not like he caught him with one punch standing.. He dropped him, then reversed his ground game, slapped him with a whizzer & then TKO’d him..
8-29-09
Keith Jardine is now known as "The Dean of Antihistamine" because he is always sleeping early in fights..
Nate got caught...
…and caught and caught and caught and caught and caught and caught and caught…
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett
by Scott C. Broussard on Sep 15, 2009 6:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I love how fans love to tout that Marquardt is a totally different fighter. He’s sooo different from the time he faced Anderson Silva. Yet, you’re not going to acknowledge that there’s a strong possibility that Anderson Silva has improved incredibly? On paper, Marquardt was supposed to be the better grappler but he got aced in wrestling. (Click link above for proof.)
Did you not see Anderson Silva switch levels on Patrick Cote and take him down in UFC 90?
Check out my recent MMA drawings on my blog, drop a comment, or subscribe via RSS for updates http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog/?tag=mma
by VeeisAnimated on Sep 15, 2009 6:29 PM EDT up reply actions
I love how fans love to tout that Marquardt is a totally different fighter. He’s sooo different from the time he faced Anderson Silva. Yet, you’re not going to acknowledge that there’s a strong possibility that Anderson Silva has improved incredibly?
That is a possibility. A cool way to find out for sure would be for them to fight.
This is getting ridiculous...
IMO… I do not think a fighter should jump weight classes all together when they are champion. As a champion it should be Anderson Silva’s duty to focus exclusively on defending the middleweight championship. I don’t care if he’s cycling through division for a second time, he should continue to dispatch of the middleweight division until he is beat (which will happen at middleweight sooner or later). Then when Anderson has lost the championship, he could jump to whatever weight class he wants… I’m not a fan of super fights.
Silva will eventually get beaten in the MW division? Is there some mystery person that I have yet to hear of that will come in to do it?
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 4:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Fedor is going to sign with the UFC, cut off his left leg to make 185, and sub Anderson with a RNC.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
Sounds like a good fight, may have to make it a few extra rounds as I’m sure 3-5 rounds would not be enough for this war. 1 less leg for Fedor just means 50% less of a chance to get caught in a leg lock.
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 4:44 PM EDT up reply actions
Yes
He’s not invincible… if he fought Marquardt or Henderson 10 times do you not think he’d get beat at least one of those times? He’ll get caught sooner or later by someone….
I think he would go 10-0 with none of the fights going past the second round.
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 4:41 PM EDT up reply actions
He is 10-0..
But he had 2 fights go past the second round.. :(
lol
8-29-09
Keith Jardine is now known as "The Dean of Antihistamine" because he is always sleeping early in fights..
But neither of them were to Nate or Hendo and he was not even trying in the two that went past the second round.
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Anderson has no responsibility to do anything but provide for himself and his family.
Twitter: @Mike_Fagan_13
http://www.sackmikegoldberg.com
Oh yeah? Well I am 500% healthy. I beat Anderson at something. I am more healthy by 300 health points. Plus if I get in trouble I will just hit iddqd
I love it. For a special fighter like Anderson, I am willing to make exceptions all day long. In my opinion the guy has earned the right to seek big money fights, or quite simply, entertaining fights. Let’s not wish away the chance to see Anderson fight on rematches.
"I want to tell me what you see, let's go ahead and see by the fight what you saw, in the ring"
I don't hate Anderson
but the more I read these posts the more I hope he fights Nate and Nate beats the crud out of him.
Oh no! Not the...the...Crud!!!
I’m good with him wanting to fight the winner of a Hendo – Nate fight. Why would he want to fight 2 people that he already beat back to back?
'Ello G'vnor!
A good crud beating
would do many fighters a world of wonders. Besides, as has already been pointed out, his fight with Marquardt was in 2007.
I actually wouldn’t mind seeing Silva in a HW fight, though I’m sure they could find a better fight for him than Mir.
Still, while I don’t mind champs engaging in superfights, he’s already had a non-title fight against Forrest. He should defend the title again before stepping into another weight class.
It’s amazing how far a little bit of trash talk can take a guy in this sport.
This x 100000
Kuwabara Kuwabara
I think it’s one of those things. People understand but don’t like it even though. I understand, but Frank gets on my nerves sometimes. Maybe it helps that I’m a huge BROCKLESNAR fan..
Kuwabara Kuwabara
by J. B. Maddox on Sep 15, 2009 5:01 PM EDT up reply actions
i have no basis on which to make this claim but...
I think should Shogun take the LHW belt from Machida, we could potentially see Anderson Silva with an extended stay at 205. He’d vacate the belt, leaving Hendo-Marquardt as a championship fight.
This is what I want to happen. Do I think it will? Absolutely not.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
Imagine how frustrated
we would be if Anderson won the LHW belt from Rua, and then Machida refused to fight Silva for the belt. ARGH!
That’s why if Anderson beats Rua the #1 LHW challenger will be Hendo. Do it for the LHW and MW belt at the same time. In fact they can fight at 195 and will throw in the catchweight belt in there to. Why beat around the bush. If Sylva’s going to clear a couple divisions out let’s just do it in one shot.
no, what happens is Forrest will beat Randy Couture, Rogerio Noguiera, and Rampage in a rematch, establishing him as the #1 contender to LHW champ Silva.
Then the UFC will just say “fuck it” and throw in the towel.
We're just a million little gods causin' rain storms, turning every good thing to rust.
by Anthony Pace on Sep 15, 2009 5:17 PM EDT up reply actions
They should really just try to book him vs hendo or nate and pair it up with another title fight on the new year’s or super bowl cards just to get him a fat check.
Those guys aren’t the biggest names in the sport, but if they can pair that match with another match that’s guaranteed to bring in big money, Silva gets paid and the belt gets defended. I understand there aren’t big money matchups for him in MW, but I think he should defend that belt at least every other fight, and if they put those fights on cards with other big fights, and he fights to his potential, he can help solidfy himself as a bigger drawer, and make all the fights he’s in big money fights.
This all could have been solved by doing GSP vs. Anderson. Thanks to the big outcry against an awesome superfight, we have a year of this bullshit to look forward to from Anderson, and intriguing fights for St. Pierre against Kampmann, Swick, and maybe like, I dunno, Hughes for a 4th time.
true
hopefully guys like anthony johnson and mclovin can establish themselves as legit contenders by next year.or the ufc gets jake shields and or gets nick diaz back. i don’t think the fans will cut gsp as much slack for fighting the same guys multiple times like hughes did so much during his ww run. i would have like to have seen gsp/silva. silva only legit loss came to smaller quicker chonan (not saying gsp is quicker than silva, but he’s quicker and more technical than forrest, lietes or cote. and if he got whupped bad, he could go back down to ww. it didn’t hurt bj losing to a bigger man after he moved back down and established himself as still the best at lw. i wouldn’t mind seeing gsp take on hendo at mw either.
Why? Anderson could have fought at 105 then be ready to go again at the Super Bowl™ show against GSP. And where did this big outcry against that fight come from?
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 15, 2009 8:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 1 recs
rec’d for trademark infringement avoidance.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Sep 15, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Gotta avoid the long arm of the NFL at all costs.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 15, 2009 10:10 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Cocaine’s a helluva drug.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 16, 2009 8:19 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Personally
I think it’s funny that GSP blatantly came out and said that he would not fight Anderson due to the size difference, and now that Silva is tearing apart LHWs and challenging heavyweights, people think he is gloating. I wish GSP would gloat a little bit and challenge the Spider.. size really does not make that much of a difference for fighters at their level.
“size really does not make that much of a difference for fighters at their level.”
Tell BJ Penn that. And GSP didn’t say he wouldn’t fight AS, he said he’d need time to put the weight on properly.
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 15, 2009 10:12 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Calling it now, GSP by submission (double arm bar).
by TearsofaClown on Sep 15, 2009 7:08 PM EDT up reply actions
Hit them with your groins Georges!
Walla walla walla I'm an idiot.
by ufc4 on Sep 15, 2009 8:13 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions 3 recs
you're on fire at this point.
A true MMA fan from the great state of Arkansas.
by MMArazorback on Sep 15, 2009 8:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I guarantee you after fighting Mir the words 200% healthy would never come out of Andy’s mouth because he’d be missing a limb.
Anyway, now that we know Silva is ready to go he can now fight Nate The Great truly clear out his division. Anyone that doesn’t realise how much more improved and dominant Nate has become after their fight is blind or stupid or both. Nate is the next fight Andy needs to be made and now that Hendo has taken himself out of the conversation there are no more reasons for it not to happen.
Travis Lutter
Someone get this guy a strength and conditioning coach. He is the only one who’s ever had Silva in danger.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
MMA Rankings
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
