MMA Thread

[calgaryballer]

This is all pointless. The real fact is that since losing to Okami, Anderson only has one legit win(Hendo). Everyone else is a CAN! Get Okami back in there once and for all!

only partially sarcastic

[Steel Mamba]

Against Travis Lutter Silva did not even attempt a single strike until there was 3:30 left in the round. I think the total strikes he threw standing was probably no more than 3 or 4 for the entire round!

[calgaryballer]

Against Travis Lutter Silva did not even attempt a single strike until there was 3:30 left in the round. I think the total strikes he threw standing was probably no more than 3 or 4 for the entire round!

Is that a good thing though? He was fighting Travis Fucking Lutter.

[Steel Mamba]

Is that a good thing though? He was fighting Travis Fucking Lutter.

Lutter is a decent fighter, not a championship level fighter, but still pretty solid. Regardless though the point is that's simply Silva's style against everyone that he has fought in the UFC. He fought Hendo the same way, he went an entire minute before he even attempted a single strike in the Hendo fight. When you look at his record it's hard to argue against his style not being a good thing.

But, again styles make fights. If you put him against someone who's not going to engage him or flop on the ground when he does, then yes potentially you're going to be looking at a very boring fight. However when his opponent is actually trying to fight and trying to win we all know how exciting Anderson can be.

[Bigpapa42]

That doesn't matter, his style has remained the same. All I can really say is to rewatch his old UFC fights and you'll see what I mean. Most of the time he starts off just feeling guys out for a couple of minutes, then after that he waits for his opponent to open up and make a mistake, and that's when he strikes. That's the same style he brought into this fight, which again comes down to styles making fights. When he tried to turn it on his opponent just wasn't there.

Also, if I had the time I would go back and count the strikes that he has thrown in the opening round of some of his fights, which really isn't very many most of the time. That would really tell the story right there. But, yeah the thing is those few strikes that he usually does throw is all that it takes against certain opponents.

I realize he tends to use a slow opener style, as many kickboxers do. But the "feeling out" lasted all five rounds against Leites. Silva had some openings that he didn't jump on. He never pressed to force an opening. He wasn't aggressive. What's the point of trying some fancy back-heel kick if you aren't going to even attempt to follow it up while your opponent is off-balance. He was playing and showboating, not using such techniques to gain a tactical edge that he could aggressively exploit. He's done that for two fights in a row now. He is not approaching fights the same, for whatever reason.

I love Silva. One of my favorite fighters. Up until these last two fights, he was one of a very select group of fighters that I would pay for a show just to see them fight. Even if that was the whole card. That's gone now for two fights. Over 7 rounds of not looking like the same fighter. I'm not saying I think he's changed his approach these last two fights because I want to believe it. Its exactly the opposite - I want to believe he's the same guy. But I see visually evidence that tells me he isn't approaching his opponent the same way.

[Liquidrob]

so basically any fighter can get in there now with silva and go the distance by not engaging, sign me up for 49.95 every time he fights!

[Steel Mamba]

I guess we'll just agree to disagree then because I didn't see anything different in regard to his fight style that would lead me to believe that he approached this last fight any differently. He looked every bit like his normal self, except the opportunities just weren't there in this particular fight. He even went for the thai clinch multiple times and every time he went for it Thales dropped to the ground. He starts to unload and he drops to the ground. What can you do? Go into his guard, sure, but why when your opponent didn't earn the right to take the fight to the ground?

Bottom line - everyone except for Rob will forget about these two fights once the UFC puts him in the cage against someone who actually wants to fight.

http://mmamania.com/2009/04/19/ufc-97-post-fight-press-conference-video/

Skip to 1:50

[Steel Mamba]

so basically any fighter can get in there now with silva and go the distance by not engaging, sign me up for 49.95 every time he fights!

Why be in the cage if you're not going to actually fight someone? I thought that was the whole point. Silva was trying to press action.

[Liquidrob]

I guess we'll just agree to disagree then because I didn't see anything different in regard to his fight style that would lead me to believe that he approached this last fight any differently. He looked every bit like his normal self, except the opportunities just weren't there in this particular fight. He even went for the thai clinch multiple times and every time he went for it Thales dropped to the ground. He starts to unload and he drops to the ground. What can you do? Go into his guard, sure, but why when your opponent didn't earn the right to take the fight to the ground?

Bottom line - everyone except for Rob will forget about these two fights once the UFC puts him in the cage against someone who actually wants to fight.

http://mmamania.com/2009/04/19/ufc-97-post-fight-press-conference-video/

Skip to 1:50

actually it is not just me, silva is probably there worst drawing champ, he just doesnt sell well to the public, even with the destruction of franklin twice, leben, hendo, etc...

now with the cote and thales debacle, dana might not even put him in the main event or make him just headline free shows or maybe the tape delayed UK shows

the p4p thing was a gimmick just for anderson, lesnar sells, any LHW sells (chuck, jackson, forrest,etc..) GSP is a canadian superstar and BJ has his following, BJ probably is down there with Silva because he is a 155 champ and the average fan doesnt like LWs, but he still brings in the eye balls with the right match up

silva just blew the p4p gimmick that they gave him

[Liquidrob]

Why be in the cage if you're not going to actually fight someone? I thought that was the whole point. Silva was trying to press action.

stop it, no he wasnt, where was he pressing? with side kicks to the knees to keep his distance? with simmeys of his shoulders? throwing behind the back kicks? circling for minutes at a time?

leites didnt do anything and silva did the same

[Steel Mamba]

actually it is not just me, silva is probably there worst drawing champ, he just doesnt sell well to the public, even with the destruction of franklin twice, leben, hendo, etc...

now with the cote and thales debacle, dana might not even put him in the main event or make him just headline free shows or maybe the tape delayed UK shows

the p4p thing was a gimmick just for anderson, lesnar sells, any LHW sells (chuck, jackson, forrest,etc..) GSP is a canadian superstar and BJ has his following, BJ probably is down there with Silva because he is a 155 champ and the average fan doesnt like LWs, but he still brings in the eye balls with the right match up

silva just blew the p4p gimmick that they gave him

I was joking because you seem to always give Silva a hard time, even before the Cote debacle. I agree though that he's not a huge draw.

[Liquidrob]

just admit silva's last 2 fights have been duds

he is a great fighter, but his last 2 fights have been rough to watch, not motaviated, no killer instinct, just coasting and happy with point wins

[Liquidrob]

awesome highlight

<object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4223707&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=4223707&amp;server=vimeo.com &amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portr ait=0&amp;color=&amp;fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/4223707">Mauricio Rua vs. Chuck Liddell By Machinemen</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1613705">Machine</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.

[Steel Mamba]

stop it, no he wasnt, where was he pressing? with side kicks to the knees to keep his distance? with simmeys of his shoulders? throwing behind the back kicks? circling for minutes at a time?

leites didnt do anything and silva did the same

Because that's all he could land without Thales flopping. I know technically that's a great move to keep someone at bay, but in that situation I think Silva was throwing those kicks because it's the only thing he could land without Thales running or flopping to the ground. Of course that's nothing I can prove, but that's my theory.

My last question... Be honest, if this was Pride who would have received the yellow cards in that fight?

[Liquidrob]

Because that's all he could land without Thales flopping. I know technically that's a great move to keep someone at bay, but in that situation I think Silva was throwing those kicks because it's the only thing he could land without Thales running or flopping to the ground. Of course that's nothing I can prove, but that's my theory.

My last question... Be honest, if this was Pride who would have received the yellow cards in that fight?

they both would have gotten some yellow cards

circling silva and floppy thales would be alot less richer