UFC: Anderson Silva - Legacy Or Fallacy?
In an attempt to remedy situation, Silva was moved up a weight class and put into a match with a less skilled, but larger competitor in Forrest Griffin at UFC 101. Silva would make very short work of Griffin as he bobbed and weaved around punches and KOd the Ultimate Fighter Season One winner in embarrassing fashion. Many considered the performance to be an enormous statement on Silvas true abilities, as well as a return to form. However, this would not ring true.
Silva had originally been slated to take on UFC legend Vitor Belfort at UFC 112, but instead fought BJJ expert Demian Maia as Belfort suffered an injury during training. The event took place in Abu Dhabi, being the first UFC show to be held in the Middle East. Being a card of great importance, it seemed only fitting that Silva would choose to make a spectacle of himself. Yet again, rather than asserting his dominance over what appeared to be an inferior opponent, Silva instead rode Maia on the ground and taunted him for 25 minutes. The performance garnered Silva not only a decision victory, but another public lashing from Dana White.
At the press conference following UFC 112, Dana White noted, I dont think Ive ever been more embarrassed in the ten years of being in this business, and its the first time Ive ever walked out on a main event and given the belt to the guys manager and told him to put it on him.
White would go on to apologize to the fans for the performances of Silva and Maia. About Silva specifically, White said, I think this guy is incredibly talented If youre that talented, be Mike Tyson. Go in and finish it in two minutes. The UFC president would later state that the dream match between Silva and Welterweight Champion Georges St. Pierre would not be taking place because Silva didnt deserve the fight.
(Dana White's full comments may be found here)
It was a difficult task for fans to make heads or tails of Silvas antics. This is an athlete who is clearly a step ahead of his competition, but chooses to express this superiority by refusing to actually display his talents. Imagine Barry Sanders being handed a football and just running in place, then taking a knee. Picture Michael Jordan on the court for a full game, but only dribbling when he got the ball, never passing or shooting. Its hard to envision an elite athlete purposely not doing what they are capable of.
Many had theorized it was a motivation issue due to the lack of depth in the division. Whatever the reason was, The Spider was acting as if he was above the entirety of MMA. He presented himself in his fights as if he was insulted by his proposed competition. Yet, instead of quickly defeating these opponents to prove his point, he instead toyed with them, and the fans, to make an example of what he felt his stature was. In essence, he was disrespecting the very people that sign his paychecks, while disgracing his own legacy in the process.
The answer may have been that Silva needed heightened competition, but the nature of MMA provides only so much of a talent pool. Could it be the Silva had bought into his own hyper? Perhaps he felt disenfranchised by the nature of the business? Even still, he is paid by the UFC, via profit generated from live attendance, pay-per-view buys, and merchandise. To act as a jester in the octagon, rather than the king of the division, is an insult to those that are competing against him, as well as the fans that view UFC events expecting a hard fought contest.
There had been developing interest in a fight between Silva and St. Pierre ever since both fighters began to emerge as the cream of the crop of their divisions. With both competitors fighting in weight classes that were only 15 pounds apart, it seemed highly likely that a bout between the two could occur to settle the debate of who the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is. Silvas antics, however, forced Dana White to scrap the plans for the fight, given that Silva couldnt be trusted to bring his A-game to the contest. The performances of Silva were not only hurting his credibility, but also hurting his worth. The Spider would be of no value to any card, for any profit, if he refused to compete to his level.
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