UFC 126: Anderson Silva – “The Same Old Story”

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Anderson “The Spider” Silva has heard it all before. It seems as if each time a new # 1 middleweight contender steps forward to challenge him, many begin to speculate that his long tenure as the 185-pound champion may be over. So, by the time next Saturday’s UFC 126 main event against Vitor Belfort comes around, the news that Silva’s hold on the title is in jeopardy is already old news.

Whether or not it’s old news, Belfort is a dangerous foe nonetheless. He is a very slick striker who has the conditioning to hang toe to toe with the champion. Belfort comes in with five straight victories including his most recent action, a 1st round TKO of former champion Rich Franklin at UFC 103. No matter what skills that his opponents possess, Silva seems to find a way to get by and retain his title with his un-matched intangibles.

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It is his intangibles that helped him win his seventh UFC middleweight title defense this past August at UFC 117. His opponent, Chael Sonnen, had him on the ropes looking defeated and battered for four full rounds before Silva recovered to catch him in a 5th round submission. His latest victory was a perfect illustration of how he is able to find a way to victory no matter if he is at his best or not on any particular night.

In his fights, Anderson Silva uses his unusual movements and angles against his opponents. It doesn’t seem to matter what type of skills they possess, he finds a way to make it his type of fight. As usual, patience will again be vital for “The Spider”, but it will be speed that takes front and center stage in this specific main event. While Belfort’s hand speed is almost impossible to be matched in all of mixed martial arts, Silva’s speed is deceptive, based largely on his technique and superior footwork.

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No matter the outcome, Silva has had quite the legacy in the UFC and in MMA in general. Is it time for someone else to take over as the middleweight front-runner, or is this just another so called bad matchup for the champion. On paper, it looks as if Vitor Belfort may be the next champion, but as anyone who watches the UFC knows, it’s hard to bet against “The Spider” because fights are not won beforehand or on paper.

By Nick Russell
ProFighting-fans.com Staff Writer