Aura of Greatness: Pele, Ayrton Senna, Anderson Silva

very good article anton but I think you should change the picture cause he resemble cheick Kongo in this picture

So uhh, this guy said something good about silva, when we gonna get him guys?

look I know Silva is the top fighter so we bow but he he not what made RIO as electric as it was it was all the other Brazilian fighter it was huge

to pave the way and to win in the fashion that they all did @ home all Silva had to do was win cause everyone else was amazing so good job

Anderson but GREAT job Brazilian fighter and Brazil as a whole was

amazing!!

Glad to see you come around Anton. I agree with Jones being the only one with the odds to maybe even be the favorite. I think Silva will lose out in the long run to his age he is 36 right now, how long can he stay elite, how long can he still make the weight cut and be effective.

Anderson will lose at some point, but that still won't change the fact that hes one of the best to ever do it. He has cemented that status. Anything he does now just confirms it.

Anton: "Okami to grind out a Decision"



After making such a great prediction, we all can agree that he has finally come around.



Great article, Anton.

P.S. Jon Jones is the only one who can challenge The Spider

" Whether you’re a part of “Chael Sonnen’s Army” or just some random internet troll"



Loved that part.

the "tomato cans" part was hillarious

Silva is one of if not the greatest in the sport today, but it rubs me the wrong way when people say that his performance against Okami was the fight to remove all doubts. It frustrated me to have to wait just to see, what I felt, was one of the most predictable outcomes we have seen in a title fight in a long time.



"At least on paper, Okami had every required attribute to defeat Anderson Silva in Rio."



Not really because if you looked at what the oddsmakers wrote down on paper this was the easiest fight of Silva's career.



I think there were fights and moments before this one that show Silva's skills far more than this last fight.

Agree 100% Exactly what i was thinking, thanks for saving me the time to wrote it lol , i still amaze how people get carry by the moment . Silva's performance was not that spectacular , Okami has very rudimentary stand up, he really doesn't have any kind of Martial arts or combat sport background on it. he has wrestling odd enough for a fighter from Japan but to say he had the tools to beat Anderson was a lil bit too naive.

This fight was the easiest fight for Silva since Maia.

Anderson is indeed a great fighter with amazing stand up in a division where fighters lack of a real discipline in the art of fighting standing up with the exception of Belfort.

Honestly i just can't buy the whole greatest to ever live that quick with out him testing himself with guys worthy to be call opponents

Well said Rigo, i also don't buy the GOAT that easy, people seem to just ignore big achievements like titles and being the champion of your division, people seem to ignore how hard it is just to make it to the top 10, not to mention Champion, so people just jump right to the p4p list and even then its not enough , now is the who's the GOAT debate , you know the sport is only what 17 years old? being champion for 5 years is just not enough to be calling a fighter GOAT thats a title to be earn in a life time.

I also would like to see Silva fighting more skill fighters at 205, he seems to fit perfect there , that would be a big statement if he really wants to make a legit legacy.

I knew Minime was up to something when he was claiming Okami is the best fighter to come out of Japan, he and his evil mind had it all figure out before the fight and when Silva destroyed Okami as it was supposed to he came out sayin "oh, here I present you the best ever", Silva is the best MW ever, no doubt about top 2 p4p right now and top 3 of all time without a question but to say he is the best ever because he beated Okami honestly is laughable, the kick he deliver against Belfort could´ve be the moment to say he is p4p the best ever, the triangle he pulled in the last round against Cheal with broken ribs and everything was a good moment too but when he ran over Okami like nothing was the worst time to say that.



I am really sick of Minimeand his hype machine, I prolly don´t believe Anderson is the best ever just because Minime is the main voice claiming that...

That's right brothers! We need to bring back the days when we ruled the boards with an iron fist of hatred and stupidity!



Silva isnt dat great, maybe after he beats the champion of every other division then leeves the UFC to fight other champions, but they will all be past theyre prime by then!



Fedor greatest! Silva is clearly weak and GSP is just thepoor mans fedor!

yeah well.. we got johan cruijff and stefan struve! ohh ehh

Okami didnt have a chance .. bad matchup style-wise.

If your not at the very least a competent striker to go with that wrestling your not gonna make it.



Okami is a 1 tool fighter.

Comparing the 2 guys reflexes in that fight - it looked like an 18yr old beating down an 80yr old man.

...According to what you just said henderson was a great matchup against anderson 4 years ago...didn't go THAT much differently.



Really if you don't like the guy just say so, because henderson would destroy chael in standup if you're trying to say he was the guy who "made it".

That Dragon said he wanted Anderson Silva money..... Jesus... lol

Please who didn't see that one coming ?

Silva beating Okami and getting the TKO

he barely got the win over Munoz with a split decision

and people gave Okami a chance? and even worse want to give credit to Silva like he just did something spectacular? Please!!!

Gotta agree here. I'm a fan, always have been but I'm scratching my head at this and other 'net traffic deifying this guy already. How 'bout we wait until he's retired before we compare him to someone like Pele. Seriously, do you know what Pele did in his career to reach those lofty accolades of greatness? You really think Anderson is at that level? All due respect Anton, I don't think he comes close at this point and speculating that "if Silva was competing in soccer, he would be just as great as his legendary countryman Pele" only serves to ignore how great Pele really was.



I think this stuff is kinda silly. He's great but let's let history play out before we start building a statue of the guy.

Ok. Anderson Silva is, thus far, the greatest fighter of all time. He puts the "Art" in Mixed Martial Arts. You can't really say the same for Fedor or Georges. I mean, those guys went out there and won fights, but not in the same fashion and performances as Anderson did.

Almost every fight he's in-- something spectacular happens, whether it be his performance or his fantastic finishes. He's creative, artistic, accurate, diligent, intelligent, etc. He goes with the flow, but it almost seems like he knows something that his opponent and we, the audience, don't know. He has a combination of unpredictable fighting style, confidence, elements of surprise, mind games that all seem to be enigmatic, but once he utilizes them in action, he makes it all seem lucid.

Fedor and Georges are awesome, but make no mistake about it, they don't possess that "WOW!" factor that Anderson possesses.

Matrix head movement and mind games(as he showcased against Yushin Okami, Forrest Griffin and Rich Franklin), his elements of surprise (Vitor Belfort, Chael Sonnen, Tony Fryklund, Carlos Newton) and his ability to make them pay for their mistakes (Dan Henderson, Nate Matquardt, James Irvin...pretty much everyone). He has a four losses in his past, three were pretty convincing, but we all know he's not the same fighter-- light years from it.

It's the "WOW!" factor that distinguishes him from other greats. He has the most impressive and amazing highlights of all, and most would agree.

In b4 barrage of hatred.



But seriously, jon jones is probably the only guy that can come close to wowing next up...if not machida



I think a comparison to MJ would be better than a comparison to pele, as jon jones is the kobe of MMA.

@ Nemesis:



Well said



Bruce Lee ---> Pele ---> Mohammed  Ali ---> Wayne Gretzky ---> Biggie ---> Michael J Jordan ---> Anderson Silva

biggie? Tupac ma brutha

The funny thing is that you guys are trying to put other name in a sentence that was made to describe Fedor...

From "Hosanna!" to "Crucify Him!"



John 12:12-13 (NIV)

The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem.They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, "Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!"



When Fedor remained unbeaten for 10 years, he was widely considered the GOAT. Now, that he has finally lost, there seems to be a multitude of people who seem to know better - and have known better all the time.



What will happen when Anderson finally loses?

That's easy- a whole lot of hand wringing.

Mohammed  Ali lost 3 out of his last 4 fights and he still went on to become the G.O.A.T. I hope that answered your question.

Heh i love the christian referrence, but really i had the same opinion about Fedor the whole time.



I can easily still see Fedor as the greatest heavyweight simply because i believe he by far has the most actual skill.



As for greatest of all MMA, i think the sport is still way too young, but it's easy to make comparisons between silva and muhammad ali etc etc and you don't see that everyday

It is not a question of whether Anderson Silva is a great fighter or not--he undoubtedly is a great fighter. The question is--how great?



There are some, like Dana White, who choose to annoint Silva with plaudits belonging more to the god than to a man. How did Silva defeating Yushin Okami suddenly prove any point at all in the debate? Everyone was assuming Okami would lose--so it came as no surprise.



When Silva played a game of Chin Chicken with Okami, by dropping his hands and daring him to take his shot, and when Okami fired off his best, only to be countered by Silva decisively--this was impressive, and crowd pleasing. This schoolyard bravado of dropping your hands and sticking out your chin to your opponent showboating strikes a viceral chord inside many fight fans--but it is not a display of great MMA,, it is more a display of superior striking speed, accuracy and confidence--and the ability to take a punch.



Yes, Silva not only proved Okami was a worse fighter than him, but he also defeated Yushin in humiliating fashion. Come on....Come on...Take your best shot...Ha...Now take one of mine....



Once Silva is certain he easily overmatches his opponent, then he sets out to humiliate them in front of the crowd. Notice he never tried Chin Chicken with Chael Sonnen.



When Silva dominates and opponent, it's a personal thing--when GSP and other fighters dominate an opponent--it's just business.



They are professionals.



Silva is the greatest MW of all time, in my books--but greatest fighter of all time? I am still not convinced. Even when I put my personal distaste for Silva's past and personally revealing octagon antics--I assess his incredible record not only on total wins, but also, on the quality of the opposition. This is not to say that Silva does not have quality wins under his belt, but most astute MMA fans have considered for a long time that the MW division is not as talent rich as other divisions.



If Anderson Silva moves up to LHW and wins the belt there--and holds it for a few defenses--then I might be convinced he is the all time great--at least for now. Silva walks around at 220 or more, so I don't think it is unfair to suggest he move up a weight class--and I believe the competition in LHW is of a higher caliber--and may prove challenging for the champ who has run out of challenges in MW.

Weight cuts of 35 lbs or more are TOTALLY common for fighters aged 35 or more so i can tell you know what you're talking about just like the rest of the guys who sound just like you. Why don't any of you ever talk about GSPs walk around weight?



Okami is actually bigger than silva and okami was like 196...GSP walks around at 2 pounds under that?



http://www.thestar.com/sports/boxing/article/980727--the-man-behind-georges-st-pierre-s-success



Not only that but WW is a weaker division than MW. To pove it, guys who can't find wins in other divisions frequently go there and AWAY from MW. Nate marquadt, shields, BJ penn(who isnt even big enough for that div, but no1 brings that up),alves,most of the ultimate fighter 1 class,now akiyama,kampmann and more.



If the MW division is so weak, howcome so many people have to leave to find succes, in a division that's supposedly harder? And why is LNP such a commonly used strategy in WW? Shields,koscheck,fitch and GSP can all hold down pretty much anyone else without even hurting them for the win.



That's not a sign of good competition, hence why GSP has sooo many rematches and why they have to go outside of the immediate division and import different fighters from other weightclasses(or even organizations) just to avoid the superfight that noone actually needs to see.



Now, i don't want to see that argument again for atleast 5 days.

Whoa are you saying that 205 is a tougher division than MW? Cookie for the genius! What's that have to do with WW exactly? How many ultimate fighter seasons have middleweights that head for the hills when the season is done? Meanwhile there's WW where fighters from all over come to win.



People go on crazy winstreaks in WW and can't do that in MW or LW or LHW.Before GSP dan hardy was on a 7 fight winstreak and he can't wrestle,cookie for the genius! A 1-dimensional strategy CANNOT work in a decent competition environment,that's actually true.



Yea there's a case where a guy moved up from 170 and destroyed in 185, he's the guy the article was made for. Must be a reason you didn't name those "many fighters", but i didn't name them because there are so many it's a waste of time.



Lol yea you bet on shields to beat anderson if he moved up. Obviously you guys don't put money on foolishness you say or you wouldn't have money to be on here.GSP obviously doesn't agree that beating silva would be that easy, it's been 2 and a half years since he said he was going to gain weight and he's still scrounging to find other guys to fight.



Okamis legs alone are pretty much bigger than everything else on his body, i believe anderson weighed around early 190's(191) before the fight. Pretty sure noone is dumb enough to think he weighed 230.

Yea okami is totally smaller than anderson, you can tell because his thigh is bigger than anything on andersons body. Henderson lost to AS, won a BS decision against franklin then KO'd bisping. Since i don't count BS wins, thats ONE win then he was off to get defeated by shields.



Shields win against dan was very impressive, then he comes to welterweight and hugs his way to victory just like most of the other top tiers, so how is that valid?Baroni got kicked out of the UFC returning to middleweight. Most of your list isn't even in the UFC so it's totally irrelevant, surprised you didn't put lombard up there. You know you're supposed to list people who actually had successful runs after switching to MW in the UFC right?



If 170 was so competitive people wouldn't go there to avoid being knocked out of the UFC. BJ isn't even big enough to be there but he knew it was easier than LW. Alves trying everything he can just to make weight. Anyone who makes it to the UFC after ultimate fighter ditches MW or fades to mediocrity, while they usually excel in WW. 1 dimensional gameplan simply doesn't work consistantly in other divisions.



Oh hardys run was overrated?Koscheck poked and faked his way to victory against johnson which isn't impressive. but oh wait he beat trigg who's free in the UFC and you decided to list him like you didn't know that. Then he layed and prayed his way against daley..seww sick, especially since he was originally a MW.



BJ penn is small for WW and GSP knows for a fact that if he fights silva it'll be the same situation, but guys like you are FOS and fail to mention that when you praise GSP for the win. Alves beat karo parisyan and matt hughes ho was turning 36 that year...as old as AS is currently....sick.



None of that is too impressive, sorta makes you wonder about the constant awesome winstreaks that go on in that division.but hell if i knew i could hold someone down and not let them getup, why not go there?

In all martial art sports there have been champions who were dominant in their day.



To be the greatest of all time you need something extra: a greater cause.



For Ali it was his ego and his playful ways of giving interviews - the poem-making taunting of his opponents. For Fedor it is his belief in God and his Christian love for his foes.



It could be the superior tactics planning and implementation, coupled with everyday toil in the gym for GSP. I can see the positive message there.



Silva is an extremely talented guy and at this point there is a landslide of difference between him and his opponents. He makes grown up men look like children.



But there is nothing else.



For Dana he is just another selling point, but he would ultimately prefer for Silva to get beaten (as Anderson has pointed out himself), because dominant champions are ultimately "bad" for the sport, when money is considered.



It is more interesting to watch fierce competition than total domination. Or at least this is the logic for some people.

You guys are making very good points about Anderson Silva and Fedor, Fightgame, brought up a very good point when he mention that the GOAT needs a little extra, but let´s go back to their records for a second, we will all agree that more of their wins are against 2nd Class fighters, the only diference is that Fedor at his prime never lost to any of those, while Anderson Silva did lose against 3 really average fighters, I am not forgeting about Fedor recently loses but I think he is not at his prime, you will see Anderson losing again when his carrer start to finish and the same goes for GSP, a a matter of fact in my opinnion GSP has a better record and is a more complete fighter than Anderson Silva....

andersson silva is the best MW of all times. you can never take that away from him. but he IS awoiding to go LHW because he knows the competition is much harder there. to be the greatest of all times he needs to go up to LHW and prove himself. he walks around the same weight as the guys there... MW is the least talented division