http://sports.yahoo.com/news/lock-anderson-silva-vs-uriah-hall-confirmed-uf-233159374--mma.html REED:mj:
Anderson might be my favorite fighter of all time. Right up there with Roy Jones. I don't want to see him fight young fighters anymore. If he's going to fight past his prime he should fight other guys in their 40s like Dan Henderson.
If this happens, this might be the first time I skip watching an Anderson Silva fight on purpose. Watching the Bisping fight was painful, even though I thought Anderson should have won. Bisping rocked him with multiple shots in that fight. Uriah Hall is fucking deadly compared to Michael Bisping.
It's amazing in MMA how, when great fighters fall, how often they fall quick. Look at guys like Liddell, Rich Franklin, Fedor and now Silva. Great one day, then garbage the next. TFK
The Worst Part of All is the Bout is in BRAZIL!!!... Anderson's Being Led to Slaughter in his OWN Fucking Country... REEDray:
Anderson had moments of brilliance in the Bisping fight. At times he looked like the all time great he used to be. At other times he looked hittable and vulnerable. He would have been knocked out if Bisping was a real power puncher.
Anderson could still win this. I've just lost my confidence in him as a fighter. This would have been an easy fight for him a few years ago. Now I'm afraid to watch. Uriah Hall reminds me of a prime Anderson Silva sometimes. He has crazy speed and crazy power that can finish a fight at any time. Odds are he'll get a highlight reel knockout here. I just don't want to see Anderson go out like that again.
Uriah Hall is talented, but you make him sound like some kind of killer, which he is not. He lost his last fight and was losing the previoous one before he landed a hail mary spinning kick. Anderson should be the favourite going in, though Hall can definitely win as well.
Anderson shouldn't be the fav and I doubt he will be with the bookmakers. Hall at this point is a better fighter than Bisping. His problem is his output which makes him lose decisions to busier fighters. But he would Knock Bisping or Anderson out at this point. He will land something and if he does he is pretty lethal.
Uriah Hall's Biggest Flaw is MENTAL Toughness, in REED's Opinion...He 2nd Guesses Himself Fàaaaaaaar More than a Fighter of his Talents Should... Having Said That, he Doesn't Have to Be a "Killer" to Beat Today's Version of Anderson Silva. REED
Bisping is a skilled fighter without real knockout power. He still had him hurt in that fight. Hall has the kind of power that can stop anyone with one shot. If he lands something big, I don't see Anderson surviving. Prime Anderson would dodge the incoming shots matrix style before landing counters with deadly precision. 2016 Anderson looks slow and vulnerable. Not even slow compared to most fighters. Just slow enough to get hit by shots he used to avoid.
Its all about motivation. Most fighters lose motivation to continue being the best when they have everything. Its hard to get up early to train when you are wearing silk pajamas.
A few guys have stayed at the top level at 40+. Foreman, Couture, Henderson, guys like that relied on things other than elite speed and reflexes to win. Power, wrestling, dirty boxing, old guys can win that way. Guys like RJJ and Anderson won with matrix level reflexes along with speed and accuracy. I haven't seen fighters like that continue to dominate into their 40s. Your speed and reflexes peak in your 30s if you're lucky.
I disagree. There have been plenty of fighters who began to decline well before reaching their 40's. Motivation was a big factor in many of these instances.
