Griffin was roundly criticised in the hours following the fight, and for failing to show at the post-event news conference, but Griffin had been taken to the hospital for checks, unable to hear in one ear, and in order to get his jaw checked.
The demolition of Griffin was staggering in both its simplicity, and enactment. Silva, the 185lb UFC champion, fighting Griffin at light-heavyweight, measured the American up for the first minute of the fight, and he now does with all his rivals.
Silva circled his prey and was hardly touched by Griffin during the three and a half minutes the contest lasted in the opening round of a fight scheduled for three periods.
Silva had landed first with a right hook in the second minute, then an upper cut, two straight left hands down the pipe, and had Griffin on the ground.
Clean, accurate strikes. Griffin threw and struck, but landed with little. After some ineffective ground and pound, Silva called Griffin to his feet.
Griffin fought back, but was clearly dazed and confused. Silva, his hands hung low, called Griffin in for a toe-to-toe war, and ended the contest with a countering left jab/left cross which put Griffin on his back, clearly hurt, and finished. Immediately afterwards, Griffin jogged from the arena with his management team.
The natural follow-up to this performance by Silva will be the potential match-up between 'The Spider' and Lyoto Machida, the incumbent UFC light-heavyweight champion. It is a fight the fans, and the sport, must see within the next year. No one has found a way - yet - of unlocking Machida.
Silva, across two weight divisions, may be just the man.
