Anderson Silva: This Next Fight Is Huge For Me, I’ve Got To Win
Former longtime UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva has had an odd year. “The Spider” received a ton of criticism for his showboating ways against Chris Weidman in the main event of UFC 162, a fight that ultimately saw Silva splayed out on the canvas after he was dropped by a huge left hook.
Many thought Silva had finally received his just desserts and many others believed that he had simply lost by implementing the same strategy that he used to destroy a long list of top talent throughout his championship reign. Indeed he had previously been able to bait his opponents and knock them out with counterstrikes, something he may have been setting Weidman up for in July.
But as he told SportTV, he thought his plan was a good one save for one crucial mistake of not counter-attacking:
“My mistakes in that fight, and that’s the first time I’m saying this, were basic mistakes. I did everything I had to do except hit him. I didn’t counterattack. When I stopped with my feet parallel, I should have hit him and walked one step behind. I didn’t do that. I saw my mistakes and I’m working on that to train for this next fight.”
So Silva has finally admitted what he did wrong. When he breaks it down into these terms it makes a lot of sense. His feet were parallel when he got hit by Weidman, signifying that he didn’t make the move he most likely should have.
We’ll have to wait and see if Silva has corrected these mistakes for his rematch with Weidman in the main event of UFC 168 on December 28. Millions of MMA fans everywhere have questioned Silva’s lasting motivation to remain at the top of the fight game. Some believe he wanted to lose the fight because the demands of being such a legendary champion had finally caught up to him. But “The Spider” insists that his ultimate goal will not be fulfilled until he defeats Weidman:
“I wish I could sit back and relax and I feel like I’ve accomplished my goal, but I gotta win this next fight bad. Every fight just feels like it’s the life changer, feels like the most important fight of your life, and we’re still there. This next fight is huge for me, I gotta win. It’s going to be a tough fight, and it won’t last too long if it stays standing.”
His words would suggest that he may in fact be ready to take a step back from fighting, but his loss to Weidman simply won’t allow him to do that. It’s refreshing to see the former champ assign a large amount of value to his blockbuster rematch.
Silva assured us that he is back. He’s admitted his mistakes and appears motivated to win what may just be the biggest fight of his life. Do you believe him, or has “The Spider’s” time to shine passed him by?
Outer Photo: Jayne Kamin-Oncea for USA TODAY Sports
