Anderson Silva future

Where does Silva go after Saturday?

By Jake Rossen
Sherdog.com
(Archive)


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<!-- end story header --><!-- begin left column --><!-- begin page tools -->Updated: October 21, 2008

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<DL class=wide-photo><DT> <DD>AP Photo/Jeff Chiu
It's easy to get bored when you're on top of the world. Just ask Anderson Silva.


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<!-- end wide photo -->If the shaky Portuguese-to-English translations on the Internet are to be believed, Anderson Silva -- the UFC's current middleweight champion -- aspires to participate in only six more fights before letting himself go and yelling advice from the sidelines.
Forgetting for a moment that retirement in athletics is usually as permanent as Hollywood unions -- fighters in particular have a chemical addiction to the adrenaline dump of a packed arena -- it's not difficult to see why Silva might be considering the appeal of central obesity and vicarious participation.
He really doesn't have anyone left to fight.
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Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
In his last fight, Anderson Silva, left, dismantled light heavyweight James Irvin in under a round.


Dan Henderson and Rich Franklin represented the two most substantial threats to Silva's title; both were thoroughly and impressively throttled. Nate Marquardt would probably be discussed as a dark horse for contention, but Silva force-fed him leather, too.
Michael Bisping? A rising contender, but title contention should be predicated on actually beating a top-10 opponent or three. Demian Maia? He's ahead of Bisping in terms of quality opposition, but fans aren't warm to him yet. Yushin Okami? An impressive 6-1 record in the UFC and some unfinished business with Silva -- Okami "won" via a disqualification when Silva illegally struck him on the ground years back -- but a conservative approach.
Mostly justifiable fights, but do they really get anyone excited -- Silva included?
The only really worthy challenger at this point is Paulo Filho, and unless the UFC is willing to make an offer neither can refuse -- unlikely, considering the limited box office appeal of the fight -- it doesn't seem possible the two will put their friendship on the shelf for five rounds.
After Saturday's bout with Patrick Cote at UFC 90, the options for Silva become less about adding sheen to his title and more about the kind of one-off, special-event fights that would likely add very little to an already storied legacy. (It's worth noting, though, that a win over Cote would tie the record for consecutive wins in the Octagon -- eight -- and another after that would set the new record. Maybe Silva is a stat guy. You never know.)
If the Brazilian adheres to his commitment and steps in the cage only five more times after Saturday, it's any fan's sincere hope that the fights aren't against an endless parade of uninspired competition. (While Cote's five-fight win streak is impressive, it's difficult to forget he went winless in his first four UFC appearances.)
Some options that could prove interesting:
Cung Le


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Jeff Sherwood/Sherdog.com
Cung Le, above, is one of a select few mixed martial artists with a striking game on par with Anderson Silva's.


There's probable interest on the UFC's part in Le, who has only two bouts remaining on his Strikeforce contract. While his MMA career has been more or less a series of live sparring contests against mismatched opposition, there's an undeniable thrill in watching his unorthodox san shou style at work in a cage. We've never seen Le sweat on his feet, and we've rarely seen Silva shoot for a takedown. It's about as close as you can get to a guarantee of stand-up viciousness without a state investigation.
Too bad that, at 35, Le is nearing the end of his competitive years and is preoccupied with film work; if the UFC brought him in, it would be for an immediate match with Silva or nothing, and that's a hard fight to hype for a Le-ignorant UFC audience.
Georges St. Pierre


A pure novelty fight and nothing more: Silva won't earn much credit for facing -- or beating -- the smaller fighter. The risk/reward ratio favors St. Pierre, who will be lauded for taking on the challenge and has a built-in rationale for a loss.
St. Pierre's true chances are better than most would expect, though: Silva's biggest weakness is his takedown defense, and St. Pierre has smothered some of his division's most credible grapplers. He's also reputed to be a nightmare in the gym, even among larger athletes.
Does the UFC want its peerless champion to be bested by a smaller competitor? Maybe, if you consider both Silva's insistence that he's nearly out the door and the younger St. Pierre's commitment to the sport.
The light heavyweight champion

Watching Silva run roughshod over James Irvin might have provided some fleeting amusement, but there's little point in taking the risk of facing bigger athletes without some kind of endgame.
Forrest Griffin -- or whoever the current 205-pound champion is at the time -- provides Silva with a rare opportunity to face divisional titleholders in three different weight classes.
Silva's chances are probably best against the current champ, though Griffin's ability to drag opponents into wars of attrition is impressive. But the odds that this fight happens become exponentially less if Rashad Evans takes the title from Griffin: There can't be much public interest in watching Evans tackle the smaller Silva time and again.
Randy Couture

An obnoxious example of box office over logic, sure … but who wouldn't pay a premium to see it?
After a heavyweight tournament run in the first half of '09, there are precious few options for Couture's third (and presumably final) fight in the Octagon. The possibility of a bout with Fedor Emelianenko is about as substantial as a plume of smoke; it's within reason Couture could lose to the bigger Brock Lesnar and/or Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, the best heavyweight whose name doesn't rhyme with "Bedor."
Couture, who usually shows up for bouts in the 220s, isn't a large heavyweight and could easily cut to 205; Silva is an imposing middleweight who would still need to lose some size to make that mark. They're two of the UFC's most decorated and respected champions, and it's rare that two all-time greats wind up being contemporaries -- think of the constant fantasy talk over Muhammad Ali versus Mike Tyson or Sugar Ray Robinson versus Roy Jones.
And after the fight, perhaps Couture could impart some wisdom on the subject of retirement.
Jake Rossen is a contributor to Sherdog.com.


http://sports.espn.go.com/extra/mma/news/story?id=3654263

 

He has 6 more fights, 5 after Saturday. It's too advanced to be talking matchups. This is the fight game. You could be out after one fight.

 

Before he goes I want to see him fight Filho and Cung Le at the least. If you give me a 3rd pick it would be Maia...

 

3rd fight with Franklin. Its always fun to see such a hypejob get beatdown.

 

How is Rich Franklin a hype job? Because he can't beat Silva?

There's no shame in being the 2nd best 185 pounder in the world.

TFK

 

That is fucking ridiculous. Franklin is as legit as they come. The guy can beat anyone at 185 not named Silva.

 

so says the Tito Ortiz fan. ::

 

Worse yet, a Kimbo fan.

 

I just find this rediculous. There are plenty of good fights left for Anderson. You just have to look outside the UFC box.

Cung Le is a fan friendly fight that should be made no question

Fihlo is a must

I never hear talk of a Henderson rematch. I always hear how Anderson won so decisively. He caught Dan in an awesome sub with 10 seconds left in the second round. It was great, but anyone remember the first round? Dan dominated Anderson. Round 1 was clearly Henderson's.

I don't know much about Mousasi, but from what I have seen on You tube and read elsewhere this is a matchup to make as well.

If Anderson gets though all that, have a retirement match with the 205 champ, it would do huge PPV numbers.opcorn:

 

All that sounds great and all but making all those matches would never be possible. Fihlo and Silva won't fight because they are good friends. Cung Le has two fights left on his Strikeforce contract and at the rate he's going will probably still have a fight left on his contract by the time Anderson has his 6 more. A Henderson rematch is a definite option, and if Dan keeps winning most likely will happen, IMO. Mousasi I don't know much about either, excpet for his recent win of the Dream GP. I hear he's moving up to 205 though.

After Cote, Silva should really test the waters at 205 and fight a top 5 type of guy and then try to win the 205 Title if he wins that one.

 

No shit. 28 MMA fights and the only blemishes on his record are against Silva and Machida..Yep, he's nothing buy a hype machine.

 

his next fight is against Henderson, so we shall see.

 

That's going to be a hard fight for Franklin. Dan's got a great chin and good power and superior wrestling. This is a tough task for Franklin for sure.

 

I know that there are problems with making many of those fights, I was more or less trying to point out the foolishness of saying Silva has no one left to fight. IMHO, Silva has enough clout in the UFC, he could pretty much tell Dana to make a fight happen and Dana would do just about everything he could to make it happen. Even guys like Le and Mousasi. I totally understand contract obligations, but when money talks....

I would love to see Silva go and take on a top 5 205'er after Cote.

 

I think pre-Franklin/Silva it was a toss up. I am not sure if Franklin will ever be the same now after the Silva fights. I suspect Dan to win. Sucks, I was a big Franklin fan, the guy is easy to root for.

 

Franklin is a smart guy. I don't think he's damaged mentally because of the Silva beatdowns. He seems like a guy that's candid enough to understand Silva is just on a completely different level.

That being said, Henderson is tough fight regardless of Franklin's mental state. Dan's an experienced guy who is solid in all aspects of the game. I think the fight is still a toss up, but I like Franklin's striking to win it for him.

Funny thing is Henderson and Franklin are probably the two best MW's in the UFC outside of Silva yet the winner of their fight moves closer to fighting the Light Heavy Champ. The funnier thing is that Silva is probably the best 205 pounder in the UFC and might very well be the champ there when Henderson or Franklin earn a shot.

 

I can agree with that, wouldn't it suck to be Franklin and win a shot at the 205 title, just to fight Anderson Silva again. :doh:

 

Henderson will splatter Franklins blood all over the canvas.

 

Henderson is 100x the fighter Franklin is. To quote a great man this will be "easy work"

 

I think Franklin KO's Henderson. Probably round 2.

TFK

 

Wow. That's a shocking prediction. I like Franklin to win the fight, but I don't know that he'll be the first guy to knock Henderson out.

I can't help but wondering why you think Franklin can do something that notorious strikers like Rampage and Wanderlai (twice) couldn't do?

 

Franklin has better stand up than Henderson. I think Henderson has more power though. If Franklin's chin holds up, I can see him winning a decision. I don't think he's stopping Henderson though. If Henderson wins I think it will be by KO and for Rich to win, I think it's going to have to come by decision. It's a good fight though, and not easy work for either guy.

 

I think that is TFK trying to piss off RJJp4P::

I don't think Dan loses this fight. I also want to see the Dan/Silva rematch so I might be a bit biased in my predicitons:cheer:

 

Aww, I missed the post before his. That explains it.

 

I do think Franklin wins the fight. A KO may be unlikely, but I just don't see Henderson beating Franklin.

TFK

 

Well, that sounds more reasonable.::

I just see Dan being able to win this battle with his grappling and strength.