Why is Anderson Silva so great?!

[TheGauntlet7**]

I don't disagree with your analysis. It is sound.

However, sometimes analysis must give way to the big picture. If you break it down analytically, you have a point. However, if you look at it holistically, you have no point at all.

My proof: Anderson Silva competes in MMA competitions. He wins all of them.

This is a case where the sum is greater than the parts, as they say.

yeah, you bring up another good point about intangibles, the ability to win. Anderson has that in spades, much like a prime fedor. My statement about GSP is debatable but I don't think what I said about Fedor or Jones is. Had Fedor not fought in strikeforce, it would be ridiculous to say Anderson is the best ever. Give Jones another year or two and he will surpass Anderson.

 

[Loiosh]

I think on average yes, but personally when I determine "best ever" status, I give more weight to incredible fighters you've beaten rather than excellent fighters who won't make the hall of fame(Fitch, Condit, Alves, Koscheck).

No, sorry, I strongly disagree.

There are many arguments to be made that have Anderson over GSP in the discussion as the greatest fighter ever, but strength of schedule is absolutely not one of them.

 

[vorpalraddish]

He has a fear aura and everyone keeps failing their saving throws.

 

[TheGauntlet7**]

No, sorry, I strongly disagree.

There are many arguments to be made that have Anderson over GSP in the discussion as the greatest fighter ever, but strength of schedule is absolutely not one of them.

so you think beating a bunch of excellent but not incredible fighters is better than beating a few incredible fighters? OK, to each his own. I'm not going to say you're wrong on this.

 

[AP_RESURRECTION]

those are intelligent thoughts and questions - cant answer just like you cant explain how the best are the best

 

[GroundNPouter]

yeah, you bring up another good point about intangibles, the ability to win. Anderson has that in spades, much like a prime fedor. My statement about GSP is debatable but I don't think what I said about Fedor or Jones is. Had Fedor not fought in strikeforce, it would be ridiculous to say Anderson is the best ever. Give Jones another year or two and he will surpass Anderson.

in a year or two he will have at max 4 more fights the way the UFC works if he is lucky.

Can't see it when one of those fights are against Chael and another one is probably Dan.

People give Anderson shit for not fighting at LHW. Yet that would have made 3 opponents that had to move up to beat fight jon jones because spider ran them away.

 

[90 50]

A huge part of it is Mental, he's been on such a long streak that most of his opponents are beaten before they enter the ring.

They try to change their games to fight him, look timid, and unlimately do very poorly.

He's a great fighter, but until someone comes along who isn't scared to death of being in their with him(not actually fearful, all pro fighters aren't scared to fight one another, i mean more of scared to think about twhat they are doing, it's different) it's going to keep happeing.

Shale had the best attempt in along time in the first fight, becasue he brought the fight to him.

If shale hadn't gotten lazt and let him self get caught with that triangle(or possibly even tried to hold on longer) he would have one.

Then we will see more Anderson losses, once people see he's not invincible.

Look at Liddel, he had that aura for a while, people fighting him didn't look like their normal selves and did horrible, until a loss, then they kept coming..


Renato looked like an amateur wildly rushing and swinging stupid against liddel, asme scenario, he had lost before the bell rang.

 

[Sosua]

Exceptional head movement, elite striking, precision accuracy, slick jitz, awesome chin and immune to cuts.

Funny too.

 

[Nate2324]

I hate Jon Jones, but he's already proven himself a better fighter through his quality of opposition.

The only person Anderson Silva has ever defeated that deserves a HoF spot for his accomplishments in the cage is Dan Henderson. That is it.

There is NOTHING incredible about Franklin, Belfort, or Griffin.

Really? So two former champs don't mean anything? Despite the fact both went close decisions to henderson and almost won. Anderson Silva has ripped apart fighters who were thought to be at the very LEAST good fighters and he has done it more consistently than any fighter in the world. Trying to argue otherwise is stupidity at its finest. Almost every fighter who has fought Anderson in his title reign have proved themselves to be either good or great fighters.

 

[TheGauntlet7**]

in a year or two he will have at max 4 more fights the way the UFC works if he is lucky.

Can't see it when one of those fights are against Chael and another one is probably Dan.

People give Anderson shit for not fighting at LHW. Yet that would have made 3 opponents that had to move up to beat fight jon jones because spider ran them away.

4 more incredible fighters will be more than enough to solidify Jones as the GOAT. I don't see what you're worried about in Chael. Jones will finish him in the first round. Dan will be a tougher fight but if he's not finished, it will be a horrendous beat down.

 

[eXtv]

The LHW belt was passed around like a slut because the division was filled with good to great fighters who were very closely matched with the exception of Forrest Griffin. That was purely right place, right time with Shogun's torn ACL earning him the shot and Rampage being one of the dumbest fighters of all-time.

Don't ever bring that up that belt being passed around to downplay LHW at MW's expense without reminding yourself that MW had been dominated by an average fighter in Rich Franklin who has never been able to even earn a title shot at Light Heavyweight.

With the exception of perhaps Dan Henderson (who was put into that fight coming off a loss), has Anderson ever not been the favorite since winning the belt? They've all been fights he was supposed to win.

Give me a break. He was fighting a guy that had lost 7 times by submission and beat him with a submission. That's like someone getting beat down by Overeem (9 T/KO defeats) or Arlovski (7 T/KO defeats) then giving them a medal because he knocked them out.

First, James Irvin was never a contender. He was low-mid to mid tier at best. Slap yourself for that. Second, Forrest Griffin is arguably the poorest fighter to hold Light Heavyweight Championship in four years and he was coming off the most brutal knockout of his career against Rashad Evans. Finally, Bonnar had A WAR with Griffin and it took place before either man had even earned their spot with the company. The rematch that took place afterwards was a 30-27 shutout on every scorecard. Anderson's dabbings at Light Heavyweight have always been cowardly, well-picked affairs.

My thoughts exactly. Thankyou for articulating this better than I ever could.

 

[GroundNPouter]

4 more incredible fighters will be more than enough to solidify Jones as the GOAT. I don't see what you're worried about in Chael. Jones will finish him in the first round. Dan will be a tougher fight but if he's not finished, it will be a horrendous beat down.

Seriously? Jon can beat up MWs and it's okay to make him goat yet people say the MW division is weak because anderson beat them all?

This shit is ridiculous.

 

[Loops]

I hate Jon Jones, but he's already proven himself a better fighter through his quality of opposition.

The only person Anderson Silva has ever defeated that deserves a HoF spot for his accomplishments in the cage is Dan Henderson. That is it.

There is NOTHING incredible about Franklin, Belfort, or Griffin.

Shut up now before you make a fool of yourself ... Franklin former mw champion , part time math teacher, before Anderson came along he was touted as maybe being the longest serving champion in the ufc.
Forrest griffin former ufc lhw champion, 1st tuf winner when it was actually good, beaten shogun , rampage , Ortiz (all former champions and hof or future hof)
Belfort - knocked out prime wand , former lhw champion, beat herring before his decline and the closest (arguably between machida) at beating Jj without a dq...

 

[Loiosh]

so you think beating a bunch of excellent but not incredible fighters is better than beating a few incredible fighters? OK, to each his own. I'm not going to say you're wrong on this.

No, I mean GSP has beaten more incredible fighters than has Anderson.

Don't forget, Henderson is Anderson's best win, and GSP beat a guy who beat him. There are several instances where a GSP opponent fought an Anderson opponent, and in almost every single one, the GSP opponent won; I think it's six out of seven.

Has Anderson beaten anyone whose legacy is even remotely as good as Hughes? The only one who comes even close is Henderson, but I don't think he's that close.

Fitch is an insanely good fighter and a fantastic win. So is Shields. So is Condit.

You dismiss Koscheck, and yet he's as good as Sonnen (he actually has sub defense to go with his elite wrestling).

I think Anderson is the best fighter in the world, but honestly, if he'd had to fight as many of the kind of fighters GSP has faced, I think he'd have lost some of those fights. People complain GSP has fought a lot of wrestlers, but they've been really, really good wrestlers, and those guys are hard to beat.

 

[TheGauntlet7**]

Seriously? Jon can beat up MWs and it's okay to make him goat yet people say the MW division is weak because anderson beat them all?

This shit is ridiculous.

Dan Henderson can drop to middleweight, but that's not his best weight class. And yes, the Chael fight is a joke. But if he beats Dan, and let's say-jesus who else is as good as the previous fighters Jones has fought, Gustaffson? Actually, I recant my earlier statement about 1 or 2 years because Jones is so good he's cleaned out his division. Give him 4 more years, and have him beat the same caliber fighters as Lyoto or Shogun and he will be the greatest.

 

[SpiderSilva7]

Because he actually knows what he's doing as opposed to a lot of MMA fighters who are as dumb as a rock.

 

[TheGauntlet7**]

No, I mean GSP has beaten more incredible fighters than has Anderson.

Don't forget, Henderson is Anderson's best win, and GSP beat a guy who beat him. There are several instances where a GSP opponent fought an Anderson opponent, and in almost every single one, the GSP opponent won; I think it's six out of seven.

Has Anderson beaten anyone whose legacy is even remotely as good as Hughes? The only one who comes even close is Henderson, but I don't think he's that close.

Fitch is an insanely good fighter and a fantastic win. So is Shields. So is Condit.

You dismiss Koscheck, and yet he's as good as Sonnen (he actually has sub defense to go with his elite wrestling).

I think Anderson is the best fighter in the world, but honestly, if he'd had to fight as many of the kind of fighters GSP has faced, I think he'd have lost some of those fights. People complain GSP has fought a lot of wrestlers, but they've been really, really good wrestlers, and those guys are hard to beat.

8 times out of 10 Henderson will beat Shields. The other 2 times? It'll be because Henderson was weight drained. And I stand by what I said: Fitch, Koscheck, Shields, and Condit are not incredible fighters.

 

[Ghost in the Shell]

weidman at mw and half the top 10 lhws out there would beat him.

Weidman hasn't been tested yet. And how hard is it to believe that fighters above his weightclass have a better shot than those in the current division?

1. Extreme self confidence
2. Probably good vision
3. Good reflexes
4. Picking the right thing to do at the right time
5. His opponents being a bit scared

Sounds like excuses. The man simply fights.

 

[lefthighkick01]

No, I mean GSP has beaten more incredible fighters than has Anderson.

Don't forget, Henderson is Anderson's best win, and GSP beat a guy who beat him. There are several instances where a GSP opponent fought an Anderson opponent, and in almost every single one, the GSP opponent won; I think it's six out of seven.

Has Anderson beaten anyone whose legacy is even remotely as good as Hughes? The only one who comes even close is Henderson, but I don't think he's that close.

Fitch is an insanely good fighter and a fantastic win. So is Shields. So is Condit.

You dismiss Koscheck, and yet he's as good as Sonnen (he actually has sub defense to go with his elite wrestling).

I think Anderson is the best fighter in the world, but honestly, if he'd had to fight as many of the kind of fighters GSP has faced, I think he'd have lost some of those fights. People complain GSP has fought a lot of wrestlers, but they've been really, really good wrestlers, and those guys are hard to beat.

So is it safe to say the real GOAT is out of GSP or Jones? Which one would you pick?

 

[Deleted member 355293]

Being a counter striker, combined with very nice striking defense, combined with patience.

His mystique also has something to do with it, he gets into his opponents heads (without really trying).

His striking defense really has a big impact though. I wouldn't says it's elite, because it really incorporates the basics of boxing defense (ie rolling with a punch and using head movement). It's damn good, especially in MMA against guys who think their chin is their best defense.