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Before we talk about yesterday’s tragedy, let’s take a trip back to 2006. Back to when the greatness began.
Anderson Silva had just signed with the UFC and made short work of Chris Leben in his Octagon debut. When I first heard about Anderson Silva fighting stateside I thought, “What? The guy who got heel-hooked by Ryo Chonan?”
At the time he was a Chute Boxe fighter cast under the huge shadows of Shogun and Wanderlei Silva. He was a PRIDE journeyman at best.
I didn’t give him a chance in hell in his title shot against Rich Franklin. Franklin had just dominated David Louiseau over five rounds and knocked Nate Quarry straight into his highlight reel. Surely this lanky Brazilian would be no match for “Ace”?
History will show that I couldn’t have been more wrong. Silva demolished Franklin and ran roughshod on the middleweight division for over six years.
He looked as close to invincible as anyone could imagine. A mix of razor-sharp striking, a Matrix-like defence, an underrated ground game and a touch of swagger comprised his unique image.
There were times when he looked like he wasn’t even trying. He would stand in front of his opponents and dare them to give it their best shot.
Sometimes this resulted in flashes of fighting brilliance, while other times it earned the ire of fans. But the message was clear – his skills and talents were well above those of his peers.
Who could forget the way he made out-muscled the larger Franklin while pummelling him with knees?
Or the way he made Forrest Griffin look like a flailing amateur as the latter tried to land a punch?
How about his one-kick knockout of Vitor Belfort – swift, sudden and precise?
Even in the few times that he was made to look human, he still pulled through.
He received a thrashing from Chael Sonnen for four-and-a-half rounds and was well on his way to losing a decision. Then the unthinkable happened – he pulled off a submission win with half a round to go.
Indeed, Silva’s reign was not short on adrenaline-spiking moments.
Fast-forward to 2013 and it seems that “The Spider” has reached the end of his web. Against Chris Weidman on Sunday at UFC 168, a checked kick resulted in Silva sustaining a broken leg.
It was horrific. It was gruesome. It was whatever you want to call it.
Regardless if you’re a fan or not, the image of the once-mighty conqueror screaming in agonising pain was a tough one to watch. Yes, how the mighty fall.
An injury of this nature not only takes a long time to heal but it can also cause permanent damage to one’s fighting prowess. Given his age and the signs of decline we’ve seen so far, the chances of him returning to the cage are rather slim indeed.
This may have been the last time that the great Anderson Silva fights professionally.
If so, then thanks for the memories champ. I wish you a speedy recovery and a happy retirement.
I’ll be sure to tell future generations some back-in-my-day stories about a lanky Brazilian in Bruce Lee-inspired shorts who reigned supreme.
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