In 2008 we were contemplating Anderson vs cung le

He was starting to slow and was more apt to get into short brawling exchanges vs his more classic counterstriking role. Not fully Prime Silva

Edit: brawling, not braking.

 

No one was going to beat him without putting him on his back and keeping him there. That’s still the great equalizer for a striker, no matter how good he is. I think it’s *possible* that GSP could have done that, but he clearly chose not to try.

But yes, flukes aside, nobody was going to beat Silva in a standup fight, or even in a fight that involved a mix fo striking, clinch and ground fighting. He was too accurate and too lethal.

 

Clearly correct. If that had been prime Silva, we wouldn’t have suddenly seen him fighting to decisions with the likes of Nick Diaz and Michael Bisping. You know you beat a guy in his prime when he turns around and dominates the division, like Cormier after Jones beat him. When the guy basically never wins a fight again you need to at least ask the question of whether he was already shot. Certainly it can be a gray area — I think Gaethje’s beating of Tony or Rockhold’s beating of Weidman qualify. But in Anderson’s case I think it’s clear that he was no longer at his apex when he lost.

 

It’s apples and oranges.

Is Tim Tebow one of the best football players of all time? In a sense, yes, absolutely. At the same time, if someone said, “Tebow isn’t even as good as Kirk Cousins,” he wouldn’t be wrong either.

Similarly, Nunes can be one of the most legendary and successful martial artists ever even though she would get ripped limb from limb by Tim Elliot.

 

touche!

 

Anderson was rangier but wasn't much bigger, particularly in 2008. Anderson's limbs and waist still back then were pretty lanky for a 185lber, let alone a LHW

You say he "could" fight comfortably at LHW but the fact is he DID fight comfortably at WW in 2006, just two years before this fantasy matchup. If he was bigger than Le, definitely not by "much"

I agree with the rest of your points

 

Young Cung back in SF was impressive and had a really unique style that Silva had never really faced before. I think that was the mystique surrounding the fight. Le put on some good fights in the UFC (even those he lost) but was almost 40 by the time we finally got to see him in there, and clearly past his prime speed-wise. I think it would have been a closer fight than most people think unless Silva got him to the ground.

 

sherdog before that laughed at me and weidman fans for saying he would beat anderson

funny how you guys try to change the story now that his career has gone the path it did.

 

considering uriah hall KTFO anderson, i see no reason why cung le wouldnt be able to do that.

 

It would have been a fun fight.

 

agreed. But lindland gets so much hate. He’s a tough go for everybody. I mean he beat up rampage in that same time frame. Have fedor some early problems.

Would I bet on him? No. But man lindland is severely underrated. as we all know chael who was nowhere near the wrestler lindland was and chaels mentor and wrestling coach. gave Anderson hell.

 

that maybe true. But when one goes for the underdog constantly you’re going to get it right eventually.

many guys on here picked all of bones opponents. Never got a hit. Same with fedor. Same with Wanderlei. Or Tyson. Or Lennox Lewis.
weidman wasn’t the better fighter. He had his night twice. The others had theirs once.
Weidman wrestling didn’t really win him the first fight. It was Anderson thinking weidman has the fighting capacity of roxeanne modefarri and weidman was awarded with beating a goat spectacularly and he gets that prize forever.

picking a winner in any fight isn’t something to boast about. It’s like saying you want to change the narrative that I called tails three times in a row and most people called heads.

weidman wasn’t a murderer going into that fight fighting against world beaters. In the promotion of the ufc he was. As zuffa and whoever promotes the ufc today can make you think everyone you watch is the greatest since the last fight you just watched.
Anderson fought with zero respect. All credit to weidman for the win.
Second fight his leg broke like an L.

 

Weidman was literally chael but good at BJJ AND had better height/reach than anderson was used to.

We saw what happened when chael fought anderson.

I get the point you're making--the same thing happens with a lot of stars (Ronda comes to mind). But it was also a clear good stylistic matchup for weidman if you were objective.

 

Plenty of fighters and coaches were already calling Weidman the next big thing. His credentials in grapling competitions spoke for themselves as well.
Taking on Maia in short notice and then destroying Munoz as nobody had ever done was legit too.

Silva would have had trouble that night doesnt matter how much respect he showed for his opponent. Anyways is BS excuse. There was evidence enough about Weidman being one of the toughest tittle challengers to date

 

He was on a 17 fight win streak at the time you Goofs..

 

Urijah Hall finished a 45-year old Silva in the 4th round. How is that relevant to a discussion of Silva's championship days? I think you lost the internet today.

 

Chuck Liddell also had a big win streak when he lost his belt and went on a terrible career skid. In both cases they fought guys in the twilights of their primes (and beyond) that were favorable match-ups. Okami, Bonner, etc., didn't present a threat to even a past-his-prime Silva.

 

I agree with this and think Silva was past his prime at 38. Would a 32-year old Silva have won? I can't say for sure, but if you watch early UFC Silva (Leben, Franklin) he was faster and a straight-up killer who didn't clown excessively.

 

oh so you are talking about the anderson that was just coming off getting flying heel hooked by 5 foot 9 chonan?? the same anderson that was getting triangled by 4-7-1 takase??

yes, that anderson would do much better.

 

I personally think the clowning was a clear attempt to not get weidman to wrestle (he clowned maia pretty hard too). He got taken down really fast in round 1 of the first fight and it was obvious where that fight was going to go if weidman didn't attempt leglocks and just GNP'd him.