There are certain people in each and every field who tend to become synonymous with their trade. Physics had the likes of Einstein and Newton, Mathematics Hardy and Pythagoras. History has seen some of the greatest emperors, whose empires stood the test of time, surviving a multitude of wars. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar. The list of the best is not huge. The reason being these people have stood so far above the rest, that it is our sheer honor to even have read about them, let alone those who might’ve known them personally. And not just amongst the good guys, mankind has had its fair share of insane tyrants, who have wreaked havoc over huge masses. The names of Vlad the Impaler and Hitler often come to mind.
Science, war and evil are all a part of human dynamics. While we are at it, why not mention sports? Over the bygone years, there have been certain sportspersons, who have just defied logic. In every sport, there are folks who have redefined the boundaries which are needed to be crossed in order to wear gold around one’s waist. From the iconic image of Nadia Comaneci securing a perfect 10, to Sergei Bubka’s impossible feats in pole vaulting, it’s an unending list. Baseball had Lou Gehrig, Babe Ruth who together formed a part of the greatest era in the history of the New York Yankees. American Football considers the likes of Dick Butkus, Jim Brown and Jerry Rice amongst its icons. The sport of basketball had the demonic dunker Larry Bird, Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, WiltChamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The point being, we can safely say that sports have always been defined by boundaries set by certain people. Take lawn tennis for example, Rodney Laver is the greatest tennis player of all time. Period. Bjorn Borg redefined the way tennis was played in the early 70s. Pistol Pete Sampras and Roger Federer took hold of men’s tennis from the mid 90s to the mid 00s. Then came Rafael Nadal, a one man Spanish Armada who could do feats which were not considered impossible, but feats which actually WERE impossible. But without a doubt, Laver’s brilliance could probably only be matched by one Steffi Graf, who wrote history and then rewrote it at will. Graf’s brilliance on a tennis court has been unparalleled. We can argue on and on, the fact remains that in the end, to each his own would work. The fact remains that Nadal, Federer, Graf, Laver, Perry, Borg, Navratilova would always be the best for their respective fans. Fans, the very essence of every sport. You may think that golf is a silent sport, but ask the spectators in St. Andrews about how they are feeling at the 18th in the final round of the Masters. Fans always have their favorites, be it Jack Nicklaus or Ben Hogan (the guy who won a major on one friggin’ leg). Be it Gene Sarezen or Tom Watson, it’s your choice really.
If we now delve into combat sports, sports which test a man’s limits, a man’s grit and determination, a man’s will to survive and his resilience to unbearable pain, we have several shining examples. However, ask a random Tom, Dick or Harry about the greatest combat sport athlete of all time, they’ll probably say and I quote, “Dude, combat sports meaning boxing right? Well, Muhammad Ali. He’s the best ever”. Pardon a lifelong fan for saying this, but this statement might be right for most, but it certainly doesn’t do it for any average combat sport fan. Muhammad Ali represented the tip of the iceberg. He was, beyond the shadow of a doubt, the greatest heavyweight boxer of all time, that did not mean he was the best pound for pound (P4P) boxer ever. He was one of the best, but not the best. And while we are at it, boxing is famous yes, but it is not the end of combat sports. Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) has been growing ever since its humble beginnings in the McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado in 1993, where the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu phenom, Royce Gracie (pronounced Hoyce Gracie), a product of the Royal Family of Jiu Jitsu, the Gracies, mystified 2,800 awe-struck people.
In a span of 2 decades, MMA has reached unbelievable heights and has been breaking new ground on a daily basis. The sport’s biggest promotion, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the home to some of the best fighters on the planet, who go out inside a caged Octagon (yes, the Octagon is so revered that we’ll put caps on the ‘O’) and perform their unique brand of fighting. Over the years, the sport of MMA has had some of the most phenomenal athletes: Randy ‘The Natural’ Couture, Chuck ‘The Iceman’ Liddell, Royce Gracie, Royler Gracie, Renzo Gracie, Carlos Newton, Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minatauro’ Nogueira, Wanderlei ‘The Axe Murderer’ Silva, Rich Franklin, Jose Aldo, Dan Severn, Frank Shamrock, Bas Rutten, Tito Ortiz, Brock Lesnar, Kazushi Sakuraba, Dan ‘Hendo’ Henderson, Ricardo Arona and so many more. Here’s the deal: these guys are all so revered in the sport, that they are equivalent to a Tiger Woods or a Magic Johnson. Yes, there are THESE many greats in the MMA world.
And then there was Anderson Silva.
Considered for a long time as the greatest Mixed Martial Artist to have ever graced the sport, Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva has had lists pointing out the lists which talk about his brilliance in the Octagon. I am NOT a huge Anderson Silva fan, but I will say this: Sports has never had an athlete who has dominated his trade in a way that even comes close to the way Anderson Silva has owned MMA.
He was the kingpin of the UFC’s Middleweight (185 lbs) division for an unprecedented 7 years. He had earned knockouts like no one else had earned them before. He had come back from the deep, deep trenches and pulled out victories while his opposition’s coach was about to bathe in Chevel Blanc. He has ‘clowned’ his way to a win. And then there was one time, the first Saturday of July 2013, when he ‘clowned’ his way to a loss. Now, if you are hooked to this article, you will obviously read on. If you are bored of this article, I suggest you hear me out, because we are discussing a man who is quite possibly the greatest sportsperson of all time.
Yes, you read right. The greatest sportsperson of all time.
And yes, we were also talking about a loss he suffered a couple of weeks ago at the hands of an All-American NCAA champion from New York and a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Brown Belt, Chris Weidman, a truly well deserved, newly-crowned champion.
It might seem confusing at this point as to why it has been written that Silva’s all this and that. But believe me, it is not.
For starters, Anderson Silva is a Black Belt in Muay Thai, a vicious strike based martial art, a Black Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minatauro’ Nogueira, a martial art which is designed to submit an opponent when you are being overpowered. We’re not done yet. He also has a black belt in Judo and a 5th dan black belt in Taekwondo. He also has a Yellow rope in Capoeira. Now here’s the fun part. When The Spider comes out to fight, he MIGHT utilize some of his skills acquired from these two vicious forms of combat. But what he uses most, is the most calculative brain in sporting history. Silva’s mind is like a computer, calculating distances, reach differences, angles. It keeps a lookout for any opening his opponent may give him, and when Silva smells blood, the end is not near, the end is already there. He is the most accurate striker in UFC history. It is very difficult to strike your opponent precisely when they can guard themselves against your incoming barrage of punches and kicks. But Silva, being Silva, can overcome all that.
Joe Rogan once so eloquently put it, Anderson is like a ninja. I don’t agree. A ninja wishes he’d become like Anderson. Silva is just that damn good. He dodges his opponents like something out of aMatrix movie. You might have seen Bruce Lee do stuff like that in a scripted movie. The Spider does that every time he goes out to fight.
Ask any martial artist, they’ll tell you that whatever you do, never put your hands down in a fight. It leaves your defense wide open. Silva always leaves his arms down, and when the opponent is actually able to come out of the shock of why Silva is doing this and tries to land a couple of right hooks, Silva dodges them with such unforeseen precision, that you have to wonder if you’re actually playing a video game in fast forward mode. And amidst those punches which never land, Silva throws out….maybe one jab, it doesn’t matter. By that time, it’s a mere formality. That jab does enough to put his opponent in Lala land and play with the Oompa Lumpas. Yes, it sounds funny, but it isn’t. Anderson Silva breaks the rules and makes you pay for it.
As a black belt in Taekwondo myself, I had found it very difficult to follow in Silva’s footsteps. Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, Fedor Emelianenko and Georges St. Pierre maybe, but not Silva. For the simple reason that whatever Silva does, is outside the boundaries of logic. What he does is impossible. It shouldn’t happen. But the magic of the wizard from Curitiba, Brazil is such, that he makes it happen. Always.
The names of Jones, Emelianenko and St. Pierre have always remained in contention with Silva’s for the prestigious title of being the P4P best. St. Pierre has the wrestling game of an Olympic champion, though surprisingly, he never wrestled, not even in his college days. Fedor was the best heavyweight MMA fighter of all time. His supreme striking and ground game made him a nightmare for the best analysis computers of our times. Jon Jones is the one person, who might, in 10 years time replace Silva as the P4P best according to most experts. Fighting at 205 lbs, the Lightheavyweight division of the UFC, Jones has a physical advantage over most 265 lbs heavyweights. He has a massive 84.5 inch reach advantage to add to a 6’4 height. His style complements his tale of the tape. His trainer, Greg Jackson, has trained some of the best in the business. GSP, Keith ‘The Dean of Mean’ Jardine and so many others. But at the heart of that training camp, is the most athletic MMA fighter of all time, Jon Jones. His skill set is unbelievable and quite frankly, dangerous. The guy starts a kick in one end of the Octagon and finishes it at the other end. His standing guillotine choke of Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida became stuff of legend overnight. His spinning back elbow is a highlight reel knockout. He’s defeated some of the best names in the game, Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua, ‘Suga’ Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and many more. Jones has grabbed the sport of MMA by the throat and has said, “Let’s go!”.
And yet, as good as Jones is, and as true as it is that Silva lost barely days ago, the fact still remains that Silva’s dominance is untouched. When Silva fought Chris Weidman at UFC 162, he was taken down midway through the first round. Silva got back up by displaying some pretty intense Jiu Jitsu. Once they were up, Silva put his hands down and started taunting Weidman, inviting him to hit him. Anderson Silva has always been a counter striker. And as mentioned, he is the most accurate striker ever. This makes him a dangerous combination for anyone, let alone a guy who’s being confused inside a steel cage. It was not the first display of this kind by the Spider. He’d done this charade before…and got away with it every time. When the second round commenced, Silva immediately started clowning around. He dodged every strike from Weidman and started feigning injury, mocking Weidman all the more. Seconds before disaster struck Silva in the form of a Weidman punch, Silva had dodged a bullet. His anticipation of Weidman’s next punch went horribly wrong and Chris Weidman became the new Middleweight champion. What was even more incredible was the fact that everybody expected Chris Weidman to use his wrestling background to take down Silva, use his ground and pound skills and win a decision victory. Instead, Chris Weidman brought the fight to the greatest striker in mankind’s history and defeated him via knockout. A few days after the fight, the Spider said he was finding it tough to hit Chris. I’m not sure how true that is, because you never know what Anderson Silva’s thinking. Still, kudos to Chris Weidman for doing what no man had ever done, turning the lights out on Anderson Silva. Weidman deserved to win that night, and win he did.
So where does that put us in the Silva discussion? It doesn’t change anything. That Weidman defeated Silva was a huge upset yes. But Silva’s legacy is still intact. As a fan, I say Silva deserved to be defeated because he was mocking his opponent and the sport. As a martial artist too, I’d say Silva strayed from the path of discipline and paid the price. As a man hell bent on doing magic to win and revolutionizing the sport, I would say Silva made the first mistake in 7 years and suffered. It’s not like Anderson hadn’t done this dancing-around-in-the-Octagon thing before. At UFC 112, when he faced Demian Maia, he disrespected Maia inside the Octagon with his antics too. Demian Maia was not in the same field as Silva. Everyone knew Anderson was too good for Maia. Maia should’ve been finished, but Silva decided to play with his food. He did that and got away with the win. Demian Maia, a black belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu himself, a man who has perfect Jiu Jitsu, was mocked in the ring by Silva. People hated what the Spider did that night, but became certain that based on his skills, he was not from this planet.
Silva has demonstrated his brilliance in the sport against a multitude of opponents. Against Chael Sonnen, he was in dire straits by till 2 minutes remained in that 25 minute fight. Two days from the fight, he had injured his ribs. After obviously losing the first four rounds, Anderson Silva pulled off one of the best comebacks of the year and locked Sonnen in a triangle choke. Sonnen was 2 minutes away from taking home 12 pounds of gold, and Anderson ruined his party. Amongst others, Silva has decimated the likes of Chris ‘The Crippler’ Leben, former Pride and Strikeforce Middleweight champion, Dan Henderson, Patrick Cote and many more. In every fight, he has mesmerized the thousands in attendance and the millions watching around the world. There has never been a dull moment when Silva’s fighting. When Anderson drops his hands, a stuck-in-the-traffic 9-5 worker with a blue collar job knows that something crazy is about to happen. In every fight, Silva’s opponents had known that at that point, they were as helpless as a deer, stuck in a swamp with a vicious alligator nearby. They had no hope and everything would be out of control. Chris Weidman was also put in the same situation, but he fought out of it. He refused to bend to Silva’s hypnosis and won the biggest fight of his career. However, this by no means implies that Silva’s going to go down at their rematch at UFC 168 in the same fashion. If anything, Silva might employ the same tactics and defeat Weidman, no one knows for sure.
When Silva decides to bring the fight himself, he switches up a couple of gears and goes head and shoulders above the rest of us mortal beings. He’s not the fastest is the game, he’s not the strongest. But that doesn’t matter. Because he’s the best in the game.
I really don’t know if Silva, at 36 can become the champion again. What I do know, that Silva, at 36 can still dominate everybody in a way that can never be understood, a method that can never be replicated and an awesomeness that will stand the test of time. No single sportsperson can ever say that they have been as revered in their respective sports like Silva. An opponent can always make a comeback against the best of the best in other sports. They can never do so against Anderson Silva. When Silva actually lost, the feeling after the fight was that he was almost tired of being the champion. It doesn’t take anything away from Chris Weidman, it’s just how the sports industry of the day is.
It is difficult to believe all this in a few pages. A whole lot of this sounds a tad too much. You will have to end up watching videos of Silva’s victories in the Octagon to truly believe it. But doesn’t that make his greatness all the more obvious? The fact that you actually have to see it to believe it and even after doing so, you won’t have a clue at what just happened, hasn’t always been related with sports. Maybe Vince Carter’s slam dunk or Gene Sarezen’s shot heard around the world come in the same category, but those moments are numbered. With Silva, those moments come every second he fights.
I agree, a sportsperson’s greatness is not just measured by their technical prowess; it’s also measured by their humility. Silva’s fight style might not always portray him as the most humble guy, but when a martial artist stands across from his opponent in a fight, both of them have immense respect for all that their opposition has done to reach there. It’s difficult to understand Anderson Silva the person just as much as it is difficult to understand Anderson Silva, the martial artist. But I for one truly believe that he respects everyone around him: his fans, his opponents, his training partners, his family, everyone. Why? It’s because he goes to these extents to make fights so memorable for us. It’s as simple as that. He goes out there, puts on a show and wows us.
Anderson Silva will remain the enigma that he’s always been and we’ll stay happy, happy in the fact that he’ll continue to bamboozle everyone with his skills and brilliance. For Silva fans, his recent loss may have been a heart break, but it might also mean that we would see some other impossible feat from the future Anderson ‘The Spider’ Silva. And that my friends, is the Silva lining.
