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The media tries to psychoanalyze UFC Middleweight champion Anderson Silva
By Zach Arnold | October 26, 2008

- The Chicago Sun-Times: Anderson Silva apology for UFC 90 antics was appropriate
- Franklin McNeil (Newark Star-Ledger): Anderson Silva must never repeat this act
- Deadspin: Anderson Silva crumples Patrick Cote in unsatisfying manner
- ESPN: Anderson Silva wins, but fails to impress
- MMA Banter: What was wrong with Anderson Silva?
- MMA Eruption: Anderson Silva must move up to 205 pound weight class
- Total MMA: Anderson Silva — too good for MMA
- Overhand Right: Five things I learned watching Anderson Silva spar
- The Telegraph (UK): Anderson Silva vs. Chuck Liddell could be considered by Dana White
Check out this claim from Steve Cofield:
One UFC fighter in attendance at the All-State Arena told Yahoo! Sports that he thought for a second that it looked like Silva had money on the fight and had to carry it to a certain round. Thanks boxing and EliteXC, now you’ve got UFC fighters suggesting shady action during fights.
Topics: Media, MMA, UFC, Zach Arnold | 21 Comments » | Permalink | Trackback |
“the media tries to psychoanalyze Anderson Silva,” says the blogger who tries to psychoanalyze the media.
The idea that Silva must have been clowning around in there is a cop-out. Whether it’s in boxing or MMA, has no one ever seen a fighter’s gameplan change when he realizes that he’s up against someone who is defiantly un-afraid of them and who can take a good shot? It’s really not that unusual or incredible.
First off, LOL to: ““the media tries to psychoanalyze Anderson Silva,” says the blogger who tries to psychoanalyze the media.”
Secondly, I thought A. Silva looked like butter out there, so smooth, very calm, he was not stressing at all. If he was changing stances and doing impressive footwork with anxiety as the motive, this would be a different story.
Spider was slowly setting up a web, making sure we all got our money’s worth. The guy has six fights left, why would he sabotage his UFCKING LIFE?! I will end on that beautiful creativity.
It’s hard to argue that he wasn’t clowning around at least a little bit. Running half a lap around an opponent is a little too over the top for me to completely buy into a psyche-out strategy.
http://www.total-mma.com/2008/10/26/anderson-silva-too-good-for-mma/
Please read this article, VERY well written.
Anderson is simply acting out because he still doesn’t feel he’s earned the approval of his father, who constantly criticizes Anderson due to his own insecurities. And as a child, Anderson felt overshadowed by the successes of his older brother Wellington, who was a world champion skee-ball competitor.
Anderson Silva should not apologize for his actions. He is channeling Roy Jones Jr. cause there is nobody in the division that beat him. Silva wanted to make a show for the Chicago crowd letting Cote hang with in. If Silva wanted to go quick, he would’ve.
I’m glad Dave from Total MMA saw something transcendent from watching Anderson Silva. I’m not sure if that was written tongue in cheek or he was serious.
Let us not forget that this is still prize fighting and the fans did pay to watch a fight and a display of technical martial arts. Having said that, what we saw last Saturday was a great display of martial arts, which include artful dodging in addition to punching and kicking. Unfortunately, 75% of MMA fans are of the blood lust type and don’t see poetry in motion when it smacks them in the face. Most MMA fans don’t watch martial arts for the arts but merely for the martial. It’s a shame.
Anderson has got nothing to apologise for if he was biding his time and was looking to fight a low risk fight and try and finish later. Cote’s injury just meant he didn’t have that opportunity and looked a bit stupid.
However I’m in the absolute minority in that I think there’s a chance what we actually seeing was Cote was doing okay and Silva was likely to be pushed out of his comfort zone. When Cote ate the knee and barely flinched I think that was a wake up call – basically this guy is incredibly hard to finish and has potential knock out power himelf. I would actually like to see a rematch as a semi-main event down the road.
Silva’s getting too much hate. The only reason we’re having this conversation is Cote’s freak injury. If Silva had knocked him out we would all have praised Silva’s masterful performance of biding his time, avoiding damage, and breaking down the durable Cote.
After all, we’re talking about a 5-round championship bout that barely went 2 rounds. It’s not as if Silva danced for half an hour. Fighters are allowed to take their time and spend a round or two feeling out their opponent, especially a tough striker with knockout power.
The one theme all these commentators hit on that I agree with is that Silva must move to LHW for a few epic fights to invigorate his career. I say throw him right in against Liddell and take it from there. In the coming months that division will be rearranging itself and plenty of intriguing match-ups for Silva will arise.
Exactly. He is getting this hate because after all of that, he didn’t land a high kick that knocked Cote’s head into the 4th row. If he did, it wouldn’t be “what is wrong with Anderson Silva?!?!” No, it would be, “Anderson Silva is an absolute master and will never be defeated.”
Hell, I will go as far as to say, I more or less saw that in him without the KO loss. I personally cannot wait for his next fight. There are rumblings about December against a 205lbs gatekeeper. Bring it on. I’d love to see Silva against like Wanderlei, Chuck, Randy, Lyoto, Rampage, Forrest.
I don’t see any of them except maybe Chuck or Machida giving him a big challenge.
Also, thanks or the praise person with my same name. Yes, some of it was tongue-in-cheek, btw, but I still do believe that what we saw was incredibly fun and that Silva probably is too good of a martial artist for MMA at this point.
Anderson Silva has earned the right to fight exactly how he wants, when he wants.
By the way, do you think it is over the top to draw out this equation?
UFC + Yahoo = Blog posts for Marks.
Funny thought, with how IRATE Iole was at this, and Yahoo!’s reaction in general, over/under on Anderson losing his best P4P spot?
The blog posts for marks stuff is a bit crass. This isn’t pro wrestling.
If the UFC wants to put Silva against a 205 gatekeeper, Jardine would likely be the best one to match him up with. If they want to put him with a higher risk opponent, it will likely be Chuck Liddell or Lyoto Machida (since Silva/Rampage III and Griffin/Evans are already booked and Randy is facing Lesnar at HW).
He’s clearly never going to fight Machida. They’re apparently going to be in London in February, and Chuck is rumored for it, I hope they do that fight there.
Machida/Silva is like, Dana White’s worst nightmare and an awesome martial arts show down.
[…] my voice heard in the matter, as have an Irate Kevin Iole, an embarassed Fightlinker, and, well, just look for yourself, it is […]
Give me Anderson vs. Jardine…
I don’t think they want to deep six Jardine yet, they seem to be giving him a lot of opportunities to succeed. They want him to fight for the belt.
Machida and Anderson are like Rashad and Jardine. They’re too close to ever fight each other.
“I don’t see any of them except maybe Chuck or Machida giving him a big challenge.”
Chuck?????? LMAO.
The guy has been getting masterfully counterstruck by guys like Rampage and Rashad Evans. He’s absolute fodder against someone like Anderson.
His huge reach advantage is probably not even that much against someone with the length of Silva and we know that moving up to 205 for him isn’t a stretch nor does he look over-bulked.
Liddell would get FEASTED on.