MMA Discussion Thread - SPOILERS!

[josh07039]

Other than shorts grab, ehhhhhh. And I hate Silva. Even the shorts grab is as bad as stuff that happens all the time. I think its clear that Silva's finishing power combined with Sonnens stupid would lead to Silva finishes every time with Sonnen looking good until that happens.

[E-Man]

10 title defenses?! Anderson Silva is amazing. G.O.A.T. indeed.

[Bert Macklin]

I always hated Silva but respected him. After last night I lost respect for him. First for the vaseline second for the MULTIPLE times he held his shorts to avoid the takedown.

[Bert Macklin]

Originally Posted by E-Man

10 title defenses?! Anderson Silva is amazing. G.O.A.T. indeed.

Dan Henderson.

[MetSox17]

I know Sonnen had just turtled there at the end, but none of the punches Silva was throwing were landing. The only one that actually got some contact was the last one. I thought Levigne stepped in a few seconds too early there.

[Rob S]

Y'all are haters. Anderson is absolutely the GOAT.

[phlysac]

People need to realize he has no defense for a flying scissor reverse heel hook.







/irony

[Raiderz4Life]

Originally Posted by Rob S

Y'all are haters. Anderson is absolutely the GOAT.

Hell no.

He's one of the best no doubt but not GOAT. That title would go to Fedor. Only people who would say otherwise are the people who only watched him at the very end of his career.

[Complex]

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

I always hated Silva but respected him. After last night I lost respect for him. First for the vaseline second for the MULTIPLE times he held his shorts to avoid the takedown.

He'll be devastated



Like you really ever respected him anyway.

[YAYareaRB]

lol invited him to a bbq or as they say barbacoa

[Rob S]

Originally Posted by raiderz4life

Hell no.

He's one of the best no doubt but not GOAT. That title would go to Fedor. Only people who would say otherwise are the people who only watched him at the very end of his career.

I strongly disagree with you.

[Cudders]

Originally Posted by josh07039

Other than shorts grab, ehhhhhh. And I hate Silva. Even the shorts grab is as bad as stuff that happens all the time. I think its clear that Silva's finishing power combined with Sonnens stupid would lead to Silva finishes every time with Sonnen looking good until that happens.

This is what I took from last night’s fight, too. Chael Sonnen has all of the tools to beat Anderson Silva. I still don’t think that’s debatable. Powerful wrestling to get the fight to the ground, suffocating top control to keep it there, and active ground-and-pound to prevent a stand-up. Those three items headline the checklist of skills needed and Sonnen has each in spades. But he lacks championship command and poise. When scouting Silva, he should’ve realized how Anderson’s long limbs enable him to ensnare people in his triangle. He didn’t adapt as Silva controlled his head and locked the triangle armbar for the finish in their first fight. Last night, he had Silva in a fine position and decided to throw a wild spinning elbow. Against a supreme defensive striker that can make well-disguised shots look telegraphed. And he landed against the cage with Anderson standing right over him. With such a slim margin for error, challengers can’t create those openings for Silva. He’s got the finishing power to capitalize.

If there’s another fight in the series, I see it being much of the same. Sonnen looking like he can be the one to dethrone Silva until he does something stupid and botches all of his impressive groundwork. I’m not sure he deserves it though. At this point, the last fight at middleweight that intrigues me for Anderson is Jake Shields. Then it’s superfights at LHW, please.

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

I always hated Silva but respected him. After last night I lost respect for him. First for the vaseline second for the MULTIPLE times he held his shorts to avoid the takedown.

The vaseline was questionable, but he was wiped down before the fight. Grabbing shorts is such a common occurrence in MMA though. On that note, with his approach to fighting, Sonnen shouldn’t be wearing such loose trunks. It’s just begging opponents to use them to their advantage against him.

Originally Posted by E-Man

10 title defenses?! Anderson Silva is amazing. G.O.A.T. indeed.

I would be inclined to agree. It’s not just the people he’s finished, but how he’s finished them and for how long he’s been doing it. He’s been nothing short of masterful. Almost a decade of pure dominance at the pinnacle of the sport. Fifteen straight wins. Thirteen finishes in that same span. Ten consecutive title defenses. And embarrassing a former champion in the weight class above him. His run has been just incredible to witness.

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

Dan Henderson.

Silva beat Henderson head-to-head. And finished him in the second round at that. Hendo is still an absolute legend of the sport though.

Originally Posted by MetSox17

I know Sonnen had just turtled there at the end, but none of the punches Silva was throwing were landing. The only one that actually got some contact was the last one. I thought Levigne stepped in a few seconds too early there.

I thought I was alone on that impression. Granted, I don’t think the fight would’ve lasted much longer because Silva was going to get through and rock him with one of those, but I thought it was a little soon as well. I’m sure these referees have a clear mandate to be too soon rather than too late though, and I don’t see how Sonnen could’ve escaped that spot, so it doesn’t bother me much in the end.

Overall, I thought the whole card was fun. Little disappointed that Stun Gun hurt his ribs in the opening minute of the first round. That fight could’ve evolved into such an entertaining, technical ground exhibition.

[nepg]

If sun fun didn't get hurt, few would have posted about ten seconds longer than he did.

[Bert Macklin]

Hendo dominated HW, LHW, and MW

Silva is scared to seriously move out of MW.

[fenikz]

Don't pretend that Henderson would be competitive at HW in the UFC

[Bert Macklin]

Originally Posted by fenikz

Don't pretend that Henderson would be competitive at HW in the UFC

I'm talking career. Only person in history. An he did beat the best ever in Fedor.

[Caddy]

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

I'm talking career. Only person in history. An he did beat the best ever in Fedor.

Bigfoot beat Fedor :\

[Cudders]

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

Hendo dominated HW, LHW, and MW

Silva is scared to seriously move out of MW.

As far as I know, Hendo had one fight at HW, and that’s his fight with a struggling Fedor that had just lost two consecutive fights to a pair of sub-top 5 heavies. Fedor weighed 223 lbs for that fight. For all intents and purposes, that’s not a true HW bout. It’s above the LHW threshold, sure, but it’s not like Hendo has made a career of beating some of the hulking behemoths that dominate the HW division now. For his entire career, he’s fought as a MW and LHW. At MW, Anderson finished him. That’s a head-to-head, decisive result between the two. Anderson Silva beat Dan Henderson in the Octagon. And Anderson has been brilliant in his two fights at LHW, too. We’ll see what Hendo does with Bones at UFC 151, but looking at his ledger, there’s not a single LHW that Hendo has beaten that I wouldn’t also favor Silva to handle. Not one.

Plus, Hendo’s career lacks the same championship luster. As I said, Silva has rattled off fifteen consecutive victories. Thirteen finishes in those fights. Ten consecutive title defenses. In his UFC career, Silva is 11-0 in championship matches. 11-0. For comparison, in Pride and the UFC and Strikeforce, Hendo is 3-3. Now, I don’t mean to come across as being too harsh on Hendo. I consider him to be one of all-time greats. I just consider Silva to be the greatest of all-time.

[Raiderz4Life]

Silva beat 2 low to mid tier LHW, so lets not pretend like that's a shining accomplishment.

[Cudders]

Originally Posted by raiderz4life

Silva beat 2 low to mid tier LHW, so lets not pretend like that's a shining accomplishment.

A fair point. James Irvin is a low-to-mid tier LHW at best, to be quite honest. Joe Silva and Dana White put Irvin in the Octagon against Anderson because it had all of the makings of a spectacular finish for Silva. Forrest is a game opponent though. He’s not the strongest or fastest fighter, but he’s bigger than Anderson with a ton of heart and some good technical skills to boot. His kicks are real legit and his jiu-jitsu is underrated. He didn’t become champion on scrappiness alone. But Silva dominated both of them. It looked like he didn’t even break a sweat doing it.

Moving past that though, I don’t see a LHW opponent that Hendo has beaten that Anderson couldn’t. Silva has beaten Franklin twice. He’s knocked out Vitor. Shogun would be a sick striking battle, but I would favor Silva to outpoint him. Hendo even lost to Rampage at LHW and I think that would be a comfortable win for Anderson.

[SeanTaylorRIP]

Originally Posted by Cudders

A fair point. James Irvin is a low-to-mid tier LHW at best, to be quite honest. Joe Silva and Dana White put Irvin in the Octagon against Anderson because it had all of the makings of a spectacular finish for Silva. Forrest is a game opponent though. He’s not the strongest or fastest fighter, but he’s bigger than Anderson with a ton of heart and some good technical skills to boot. His kicks are real legit and his jiu-jitsu is underrated. He didn’t become champion on scrappiness alone. But Silva dominated both of them. It looked like he didn’t even break a sweat doing it.

Moving past that though, I don’t see a LHW opponent that Hendo has beaten that Anderson couldn’t. Silva has beaten Franklin twice. He’s knocked out Vitor. Shogun would be a sick striking battle, but I would favor Silva to outpoint him. Hendo even lost to Rampage at LHW and I think that would be a comfortable win for Anderson.

But we are talking Rampage of 07 which is a big difference than the current state of Rampage. Rampage would get tooled if he got into a straight striking match but if he pressured Silva and muscled him around and with his wrestling and power he would give Silva a run for his money. Again I'm talking Rampage from 5 years ago.

[Cudders]

Originally Posted by SeanTaylorRIP

But we are talking Rampage of 07 which is a big difference than the current state of Rampage. Rampage would get tooled if he got into a straight striking match but if he pressured Silva and muscled him around and with his wrestling and power he would give Silva a run for his money. Again I'm talking Rampage from 5 years ago.

I would still favor Silva over that Rampage.

Rampage has never been the most disciplined fighter. He has the power and wrestling to control Silva, but he’s never been the best at sticking to smart gameplans. Rampage is all too willing to make fights slugfests. Once he stepped into that arena, he’d be in a world of trouble. He falls in love with his right hand and becomes predictable. He doesn’t check leg kicks. And he’s been just brutalized with knees in the clinch before. Rampage poses his threats, I just think Anderson would exploit those holes in his game en route to a win.

[Caddy]

[phlysac]

Originally Posted by Bert Macklin

I'm talking career. Only person in history. An he did beat the best ever in Fedor.

Yeah I don't really get the angle. Hendo has 1 HW bout in his career. Don't know how that's a large enough sample to say he's dominated the weightclass.

[Rob S]

I love Hendo, but if we are talking GOAT I don't think he is up there with Hendo or Fedor or probably GSP and Bones when it's all said and done. He just never had that extended period of dominance against quality opposition and his 8 (EIGHT!) losses are sprinkled throughout his career. He has also never cleaned out a weight class. I give him props for fighting over 2 weight classes, but he still has never had a true stretch of dominance. I love Hendo, but the guy can be beat and his career proves that. This current iteration of Anderson absolutely looks unbeatable and I would favor him to beat anyone at 185 or 205 except for Bones.