Sean Strickland says he would beat a prime Anderson Silva, arguing that the sport has evolved to a level where Silva’s game from his era would not hold up today.
Strickland reclaimed the UFC middleweight title by upsetting Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 earlier this month. Speaking to Nina Drama, he was asked about a fantasy matchup with Silva, who holds the record for most consecutive UFC middleweight title defenses at 10.
“I’d f*ck him up. I think there’s a big level difference now. If you could take Anderson Silva and bring him into modern time, you know what I’m saying? Every generation gets better and better and better. So it’s kind of one of those hard fights to say, ‘Would I beat this guy up?’ Well, yeah, like naturally the sport is getting better.”
Strickland has built a resume that includes wins over Chimaev, Israel Adesanya, Nassourdine Imavov, Brendan Allen, Paulo Costa, and Anthony Hernandez.
🤔🏆 Sean Strickland says he'd DESTROY prime Anderson Silva if they fought:
"I'd f*ck him up. I think there's a big level difference now. Every generation gets better and better. The sport is getting better."
UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva recently said that the UFC antitrust settlement money was anything but free — and he has a pointed message for fighters frustrated about pay in the current era.
‘Spider’ addressed both topics on The Ariel Helwani Show, revealing it was Jon Jones who first told him about the class action lawsuit during a shared training session.
“When people are talking about that, I really don’t know. Jon Jones talked to me. One time I was training with Jon Jones, and Jon Jones told me about that. I said, ‘Bro, I don’t know. I think I go talk to Dana about that.’ And Jon Jones said, ‘That’s the truth.’ But this is not about UFC anymore — this matter happened, UFC has to pay. Check it out with your lawyer and with your team.”
‘It’s Not Free Money’
When Helwani casually referred to the settlement as “free money,” Silva corrected him immediately and with conviction.
“It’s not free money. I pay tax, but — remember — it’s not free money. This money is what the UFC needed to pay for everybody. For me it’s nothing free, because I suffered a lot for this money to come to my account.”
Silva spent years as part of a class of fighters whose compensation was at the center of the UFC antitrust litigation. His framing — that the payout reflects wages owed, not a windfall — is a notable perspective from one of the sport’s all-time greats.
His Advice to Fighters on Contracts
Silva was measured but direct when asked about fighters who feel the UFC underpays them. His view: the contract you sign is the deal you agreed to, and fighters bear responsibility for understanding what they’re signing.
“It’s very hard to say something — because when you sign the contract, when you see the deal, you sign the contract. You know the deal you worked. Your lawyer, your manager have to explain what you signed. Everybody knows I have my fight with Dana, but inside the ring I know it’s my work. I know how to work inside the ring. Outside is a business, and Dana worked for this business for many, many years. And the people, when they come sign the contract with UFC — they need to understand that and have your manager, have your lawyers, and stay ready to take the good decision.”
He summed up his view of Dana White and UFC business in one line:
“When you sign the contract, when you agree with everything in the contract, you can’t say nothing. Dana is Dana — he’s not personal, it’s business.”
The comments land amid an active ongoing debate about fighter pay in the post-PPV Paramount era, with fighters across the roster raising questions about how compensation is structured now that the UFC’s revenue model has fundamentally shifted.
MMA legend Anderson Silva is set to receive $10.3 million from the UFC antitrust lawsuit, reports indicate.
As we know, Anderson Silva is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. He has achieved some truly unbelievable things throughout the course of his career and he has cemented his legacy as one of the best to ever do it – especially in the UFC.
As it turns out, though, Anderson Silva will also be receiving a pretty notable payday off the back of the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s antitrust lawsuit. This allegation was that the promotion underpaid athletes between 2010 and 2017, with around 1,200 fighters being automatically included in the case.
This includes the aforementioned Anderson Silva, who is going to be doing pretty well off the back of this news.
For the class the average payment will be $231,022.29; median $86,034.65; high is $10,334,240.72; & a low of $16,138.45. Based on the final settlement fund each fighter should get 32.7% of their total bout compensation earned during the class period plus $14,179.33 each bout. 3/ pic.twitter.com/bpoP7X06Of
“In Le v Zuffa news, the Claims Administrator, Angeion Group, has filed a report on the status of processing Class Member claim submissions. Settlement fund will be distributed no later than September 19 “after permitting Angeion time to complete several administrative tasks.
“Angeion mailed to 1,121 Class Members individualized claim forms and Angeion received a total of 1,088 claims submissions, of which 37 contented their info.
“For the class the average payment will be $231,022.29; median $86,034.65; high is $10,334,240.72; & a low of $16,138.45. Based on the final settlement fund each fighter should get 32.7% of their total bout compensation earned during the class period plus $14,179.33 each bout.”
Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman are ready to run it back one more time.
After competing twice under the UFC banner, the former world titleholders will complete their trilogy — this time in a boxing bout. No official announcement has been made, but according to a report from Main Event TV, Weidman spilled the tea while attending a wrestling tournament in Atlanta.
“A credible source who spoke directly with Chris Weidman at a wrestling tournament in Atlanta last week confirmed to Maurits School (@MauritsSchool) that the trilogy fight with Anderson Silva is happening, and it will be under Boxing rules,” the outlet wrote in a post on Instagram.
Weidman ended Silva’s 2,457-day reign as the undisputed middleweight champion in July 2013, knocking out ‘The Spider’ in the second round of their UFC 162 headliner. Five months later, they’d run it back at UFC 168. Weidman once again came out on top after Silva suffered a horrific leg break just 76 seconds into the contest.
Silva returned from the injury 13 months later, but failed to find the same success he enjoyed during the previous seven years.
Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman 3 comes eight years after the UFC tried to book the trilogy bout
According to Weidman, the UFC attempted to book a threequel between the two in 2017, but being that it would have been a short-notice situation, ‘All-American’ respectfully declined.
Weidman went on to successfully defend the 185-pound crown three times, adding wins over Lyoto Machida and Vitor Belfort before surrendering the strap to Luke Rockhold in December 2015. Weidman would only find the win column three more times over the next nine years, prompting him to retire from the UFC following a loss against Eryk Anders at UFC 310.
While this would be Weidman’s first foray into boxing, Silva has already tested his mettle in the sweet science, amassing a 3-2 record with wins over Julio César Chávez Jr. and Tito Ortiz. Silva’s last boxing bout came in October 2022 against YouTube sensation Jake Paul.
Brazil’s Carlos Prates is set to step into his first main event spotlight this weekend when he faces ranked welterweight Neil Magny at the UFC Apex. The Brazilian has been phenomenal since he arrived in the promotion and made an early impression.
Prates was one of the highlights of last year’s season of the Contender Series where he stopped Mitch Ramirez in another big win for the Fighting Nerds team. The 31-year olds striking was so accurate and dangerous that his performance earned him a huge compliment from the boss.
In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, the rising welterweight contender was asked about what it was like to receive this kind of comparison and whether it added any additional pressure to his shoulders. For a Brazilian fighter to be compared to the former long-reigning middleweight champion, a compliment simply doesn’t get much bigger.
However, Prates was able to take this in his stride and continue to do what he does best. He hopes that in many years when he’s created his own legacy in the sport, he will become a bench mark for fighters to be measured against like “The Spider” has been for so many.
“It’s good, I don’t feel any pressure to be honest. I just step inside of the cage and try to do my best. I can win the fight but if I didn’t give my best, I’m not happy, you know. All the time I look to do my best and of course I hear about I look like Anderson Silva. It’s really nice but I’m working hard to maybe in five years or ten years, Dana White coming to another guy and say, ‘Hey, that guy looks like Carlos Prates in his prime.’”
One of the latest fighters to weigh in with his own take on the discussion is the former UFC featherweight champion, Max Holloway. “Blessed” not only comes in with a fairly unique Mount Rushmore list but explains why they all deserve their spots.
“I would say Demetrious (Johnson) is definitely up there, Anderson Silva is there too, GSP and then you have to give it to Forrest Griffin because he helped put the UFC on the map. That TUF Finale on Spike TV was huge for the UFC, so those are my guys for sure. Those four guys are absolute animals.”
Holloway went on to talk about how, in his opinion, Johnson does not get the respect that he deserves just because he reigned supreme in the smallest of the men’s weight classes.
“When you talk about Demetrious Johnson, it seems insane to me how he is viewed just because he fought at 125 lbs. This 125-er would absolutely whoop your ass. A lot of bigger guys think they can hang with him, you get these influencers and social media personalities who go around screaming, ‘I’m 260 bro, he’s 125lbs. Brother, Demetrious Johnson would take your ACL and your arm home and then he would come back and cut your head off if he wanted to. You could do nothing about it, he’s such a beast.”
The BMF titleholder added that he has a lot of respect for the greatest welterweight and middleweight of all time, both of which made his list.
“I wish I was fighting during the time that GSP was around, I would have loved to have shared the Octagon with him. He’s one of the greats, as was Anderson Silva – he was such a beast.”
Holloway signed off by explaining the reasoning behind his picks, detailing his own specific criteria and why that eliminates his long time rival, Daniel Cormier.
“Some people might disagree with my Mount Rushmore, but I’m looking at the way these fighters carried themselves inside and outside of the Octagon, how they were ambassadors for the sport and for the company as well. ‘DC’ is probably going to be mad that he’s not on my Mount Rushmore of MMA, but I don’t like the way he carries himself out of the UFC. He thinks he’s the ‘Daddest Man on the Planet’, he is delusional.”
Conor McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, recently shared his picks for an MMA Mount Rushmore. Intriguingly, Jon Jones was conspicuously absent from his list.
The reigning UFC heavyweight champion’s name is a natural inclusion in any conversation about the greatest MMA fighter of all time (GOAT), and his achievements would appear to certainly validate that status. “Bones” boasts a career marked by extraordinary accomplishments and historic milestones.
At just 23, Jones made history by defeating then-light heavyweight champion Mauricio Rua in the third round at UFC 128 in March 2011, securing his place as the youngest UFC champion ever. From that moment, he never looked back, embarking on a remarkable journey that culminated in an unprecedented 13 successful title defenses.
However, Kavanagh’s all-time MMA elite list boasts an array of unexpected names, and it overlooks Jones despite his legendary career…
Kavanagh Reveals Five Picks for MMA Mount Rushmore With No Jones
During a recent discussion with Lucky Block, Kavanagh was prompted to name the greatest MMA fighters of all time. The renowned coach listed five names, deviating from the traditional four-person Mount Rushmore.
Naturally, Kavanagh included “The Notorious” as his first pick, highlighting the remarkable achievements of his student and the profound impact he’s had on the sport.
“Unsurprisingly, I’m going to name Conor first because he became the first simultaneous two-weight world champion. That’s no small feat, but also what he did for the game in general, his general introduction of MMA to a whole world who would have never seen it, really. He’s the first and maybe the only one to truly cross over into, let’s say, normal life, and obviously, now he’s in movies as well. A lot of people to be thankful that if you’re involved in the MMA industry, you probably had a few guys walk into your gym because of Conor’s influence.”
Kavanagh then listed Russian MMA icon Fedor Emelianenko among his favorites, followed by UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn, recognizing his McGregor-esque achievements.
For his fourth pick, he named another legend, former longtime UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.
“Number two, I’ll say Fedor Emelianenko. He’s one of my favorite fighters of all time. Incredible Russian fighter. I’m going to say, BJ Penn, another two-weight world champion. Incredible skill set. At four, I have to go for Anderson Silva. I think some record number of title defenses and just so skillful, you watch him back in the day when he was fighting someone who’s a kind of a friend of mine, Forrest Griffin. Forrest is so tough, so durable, so good, and Anderson made the poor guy look like he’d never trained. He has amazing skills.”
The SBG Ireland founder placed the first women’s UFC bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, as his fifth pick, celebrating her as a trailblazer who revolutionized women’s MMA.
“At five I will say Ronda Rousey and not just for her amazing victories in the UFC, but the fact that she really introduced women’s MMA to the world. Dana was pretty headstrong all those years, saying he would never have women in MMA. And I think he took one look at her and said, let’s get women in MMA. So, there we go. That’s my five.”
Kavanagh’s omission of “Bones” from his MMA Mount Rushmore is indeed surprising, but he’s not alone in leaving out the former light heavyweight champion.
UFC 305 headliner Israel Adesanya increased his prominence en route to the middleweight throne by adding the legendary name of Anderson Silva to his record in 2019.
Adesanya captured the 185-pound crown for the first time as an undefeated fighter by stopping Robert Whittaker at UFC 243 in October 2019. The result was the culmination of a successful 3-0 year in the cage for the Nigerian-New Zealander, and it started against a GOAT contender.
Eight months before his undisputed win, Adesanya shared the cage with Silva. The pair’s flashy striking styles collided in the UFC 234 main event, getting promoted to the headline spotlight on short notice after the cancellation of Whittaker and Kelvin Gastelum’s scheduled title fight.
The three-round contest, which collected Fight of the Night honors, delivered plenty of highlights, with Adesanya ultimately running out a unanimous decision win over one of the greatest the sport has ever seen.
Ahead of Saturday’s event, the promotion has released the full Adesanya vs. Silva fight from UFC 234 on its official YouTube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xz_ecf5jYR0
Since that result, Adesanya has made good on the decision many made to brand his victory over Silva a passing of the torch moment. With two reigns and numerous notable wins, “The Last Stylebender” now sits just below “The Spider” in the division’s all-time list for many.
And he’ll have the chance to further cement that spot this weekend by achieving a record third crowning at 185 pounds at the expense of Du Plessis.
Gegard Mousasi could be the next MMA fighter to move to boxing.
Gegard Mousasi has had a long and successful MMA career. From the UFC to now in Bellator, Mousasi isn’t closing the door on new opportunities. He is getting ready for his Bellator middleweight title defense against Austin Vanderford. That fight will go down at Bellator 275 this Friday night.
During a Q and A with the media prior to the event, Mousasi explained how he would like to try out boxing. He also has a very big name in mind if he does.
“We were aiming for Anderson Silva because of Showtime and boxing and he was boxing,” Mousasi told the media via MMA Junkie. “I wanted to do something different, but I don’t know. I want to do it, but it is up to them. Boxing because MMA [he] is a bit too old. Boxing he is doing well, he beat a former champ I think. And I think it is something different. Or they give me another fighter, a boxing fighter, but I think Anderson is a bigger name.”
Silva was a longtime UFC champion. He is known in some circles as the greatest fighter of all time. With a reputation like that, he is bound to be the target for many other fighters, no matter the sport.
After his UFC career came to a close, Silva decided to make his way to the squared circle. He has had four professional boxing fights so far, winning three of them, including most recently going 2-0 in 2021, with an upset win over Julio César Chávez Jr. and defeating fellow UFC legend Tito Ortiz. Silva is showing that he still has the skill and drive to continue fighting, even if it is in another manner.
Although both Silva and Mousasi spent the majority of their careers in the UFC at the same time, in the same division, they never fought each other. They do have some former opponents in common, so it would be interesting to see who would get the win between them.
Taking the opportunity to fight in the boxing ring seems fashionable at this point. Lately, a few former MMA fighters have been taking their talents to the ring in order to continue their careers and make some money. Silva is still a draw and having him face any other MMA fighter would be entertaining, especially if it is the current Bellator middleweight champion.
Would you like to see a boxing match between Anderson Silva and Gegard Mousasi?
The following article was published on this day seven years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Seven Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 13, 2015, 4:16 PM]
Headline: Joe Rogan Says PEDs Are An “Epidemic” In MMA
In light of the recent PED problem in the sport of MMA, longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan went on a rant about the subject on his latest podcast, referring to the situation as a legitimate “epidemic.”
“The UFC and MMA, in general, is a steroid epidemic,” said Rogan. “They’ve started this really stringent testing and everybody is getting popped. They’re just getting popped left and right. It’s one of the things fighters have been saying for a long time, that everyone is on steroids, a huge percentage. Give a number 50, 60 [percent]. Whatever the f**k it is that are on steroids.”
Rogan touched on the highest-profile case in recent weeks, that being Anderson Silva.
“Anderson was coming back from a broken leg and he tested positive for metabolites,” said Rogan. “It was leaving his system, a very trace amount. If that was the case, it could very well be that he got on some steroids to heal up quicker. Because what steroids do, is they allow you to recover quicker.
“So if he’s 39 years old and he broke his f***ing leg, you’re talking about a long-ass period of recovery. Or you take steroids and you recover in nine months instead of 15 months or fill in the blank. That could be what’s going on, but the reality is it’s illegal. You can’t do it. If it takes you 15 months, the excuse can’t be, ‘I’m going to give you some illegal drugs so you heal quicker. This is the only reason you take these drugs. Don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine.’ No, you’re never allowed to take steroids.”
Rogan also shared his thoughts on Hector Lombard’s positive test, news of which came out this week.
“This thing that Hector Lombard got popped for, I’ve never even heard of this s**t before,” said Rogan. “It’s apparently a designer anabolic steroid, so what I think that means is that it’s one of these steroids that’s been concocted to get around the rules.
“The test are getting way more sophisticated, so who knows? Lombard must have thought that he couldn’t get in trouble for this s**t. I don’t understand it.”
Check out the latest Joe Rogan Experience podcast by clicking here.
Three years ago, the MMA world was concerned about a 48-year-old Chuck Liddell fighting after being knocked out by Tito Ortiz. Many of those concerns were also placed on then-43-year-old Anderson Silva in 2018 when he was scheduled to face a rising Israel Adesanya. However, Adesanya believed these concerns were misplaced for a reason as simple as it sounds:
Anderson Silva is not Chuck Liddell.
The following article is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED NOVEMBER 30, 2018, 8:01 AM]
Headline: Israel Adesanya: Anderson Silva Is Not Chuck Liddell
Perhaps announcing the return of 43-year-old Anderson Silva to go against a young, lethal rising contender could have been timed better, with the MMA world still reeling from the knockout of 48-year-old Chuck Liddell last weekend at the hands of rival Tito Ortiz.
To be sure, Liddell’s brutal knockout serves as a precautionary tale for promoters, athletic commissions, and matchmakers on how to handle aging fighters. But if you ask Israel Adesanya, who will be sharing the Octagon with his hero Anderson Silva at UFC 234, any comparison between Anderson Silva and Chuck Liddell in 2018 are without grounds:
“Look, he’s not Chuck Liddell,” Adesanya said in an interview with Submission Radio. “Because of (Liddell/Ortiz 3), people are like, oh, how dare you? He’s 43! Look, the last time I remember he was finished was when he broke his leg. He hasn’t been losing badly. He beat Derek Brunson. It was a close fight, I guess, but yeah. I think he’s just been bored.”
It was Anderson Silva who was originally not on board with the bout, but when the green light for the bout was granted by “The Spider,” Adesanya’s disappointment swiftly turned to enthusiasm:
“Initially, I was disappointed because I was like, man, this was the guy who liked the big challenges…the ‘great show,” like he used to say. ‘I want a great show.’ And then, he said no to me. I’m like, man, maybe he doesn’t have it anymore.
“And then, he came back last Sunday, and I was like, yep, I want to do it. I’m like, they must have made him an offer he can’t refuse. Instantly, I knew it was like, title shot.
“I’m going to be the guy to bring the best out of him. You’re going to see a different Anderson, the Anderson of old, if you will.”
Do you agree with Israel Adesanya? Does Anderson Silva still have enough to pose a legitimate threat for him at UFC 234?
The BOAT is the Best of All Time. Unlike the GOAT, you aren’t bound by the laws of longevity. There’s no need to wait for a decade or more to begin a conversation that you can plainly see is going to happen anyway. Nope, you can strictly go by talent and the likelihood to win any given contest, no matter the circumstances.
This week in BOAT talk, Chael Sonnen tackles the debate of Anderson Silva vs. Israel Adesanya for middleweight supremacy.
Last week, Daniel Cormier gave his take on just who is the middleweight GOAT. Seeing as how the majority of people define a “GOAT” to be the man who has the most accomplishments in a given field, Cormier considered it an insult to rank anyone over Anderson Silva, who has the most successful title defenses in UFC middleweight history. Below, you can find Mr. Cormier’s argument.
“No. Dude, Anderson Silva existed. Anderson Silva existed. Like, I don’t get this recency bias that fans have,” Cormier said during a recent episode of DC&RC. “Honestly RC, I think the word ‘GOAT’ gets thrown around way too easy in fight sports. The only person that doesn’t get passed is Muhammad Ali and there have been some really impressive fighters, but people recognize what Muhammad Ali was. Anderson Silva was to MMA what Muhammad Ali was to boxing. No, [Israel Adesanya] has some work to do to catch Anderson.” (h/t SportsKeeda)
Chael Sonnen Takes Cormier To Task For MW GOAT Take
Chael Sonnen, Daniel Cormier
Chael Sonnen feels as strong about this debate as Cormier, only he is taking the opposite side. Both Sonnen and Cormier have competed against Anderson Silva before. Sonnen fell short twice while Cormier defeated Silva at UFC 200. Sonnen believes that victory is the most logical explanation for DC placing Silva over Adesanya despite the fact that he feels “The Last Style Bender” squashed The Spider’s place as MW GOAT.
“(Cormier) said that other people come up to him all the time and ask him about Adesanya. And then they, in their question about Adesanya, say to him, ‘Is he the greatest of all time?’ Daniel pushed back and said, ‘Time out. Recency bias aside, Anderson Silva existed. Anderson Silva is the greatest of all time.’ He then went on to talk about (how) we always do that. We always pass up somebody with somebody new, and the only sports figure in history that that hasn’t happened to is Muhammad Ali.’ What in the BLEEP is Daniel Cormier talking about?!” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel.
“There is nothing on that that is accurate. There is no way that Daniel believes it, except Daniel fought Anderson Silva and would like to pad his own résumé so he wants to have beaten the greatest of all time (is) all I can think. Or, he didn’t have enough time to think about the question. There is zero truth to it.”
Sonnen would also use Muhammad Ali as an example of erroneous usage of the “GOAT” label. Sonnen argued that if we were to poll trainers and boxers of 2022 who they watched film on to improve their technique and skillset, it wouldn’t be Muhammad Ali.
Sonnen would go on to shoot down common arguments found in GOAT debates where the losing fighter is granted an “out-of-prime” exception.
“Look, if we are at least down to Adesanya and Anderson, we’ve done a good and fair job as a community. Because those are the two. I will tell you this: they fought. And it was a good fight. Adesanya won two rounds to one. Everybody saw it the same as the judges. Adesanya won 1 and 3; Anderson won number 2. It was a valiant effort by Anderson. It was closer than any of us thought that it was gonna be. It was a great fight. But that still answers the question, if you’re being fair. If you want to be unfair and your side doesn’t win, you (say), ‘Well, he wasn’t in his prime.’ Shut up with all that. Just stop. Stop.”
Fabricio Werdum vs. Fedor Emelianenko, Image Credit: Associated Press
One person who is often granted an out-of-prime exemption is heavyweight legend Fedor Emelianenko. Those who argue he is the heavyweight or overall MMA GOAT dismiss losses to names like Dan Henderson, Fabricio Werdum, and Antonio Silva because Fedor (who was in his early-mid 30s at the time of those losses) was out of his prime. Sonnen appears to believe that Anderson Silva is being granted this same exemption when it comes to his loss to Israel Adesanya at UFC 234.
There is just one problem with Sonnen’s take. For the most part, the vast majority of people do not define GOAT the way he seems to. It is clear that what Sonnen is arguing is that Israel Adesanya is the BOAT. He is arguing that Adesanya is a better, not more accomplished, fighter than Silva. He believes that Israel Adesanya is more likely to win any given fight, and that Adesanya further proved his superiority by defeating Silva head-to-head, thus closing the door on any credible debate on the matter.
If Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen had a face-to-face debate on this issue, I can assure you that they would talk in circles. The reason being that they are debating two different things. Daniel Cormier is having a GOAT debate while Chael Sonnen is having a BOAT debate.
Folks, there are over 500,000 words in the English language. That number changes every year, and each year brings new additions. It wasn’t too long ago that “GOAT” was added to the English and sports lexicon. When there are so many words in just one language, this can only be possible when there are several words that have very similar meanings but with the slightest of alterations.
It is undebatable that “BOAT” is one of those words; that it has a clear difference in meaning than GOAT; and most importantly, that we need to finally add it to the English and sports lexicon.
The following story was published on this day three years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Three Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 6, 2019, 9:11 PM]
Headline: Jon Jones Dispels Israel Adesanya Comparisons
Israel Adesanya has been receiving a lot of comparisons to his upcoming opponent, Anderson Silva, as of late. However, there’s also another name he has been compared to quite often recently. That name being UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Speaking to the UFC recently, Jones addressed the recent comparisons to “Stylebender”. Other than their frame and the color of their skin, Jones doesn’t really believe there are too many similarities (via MMA Mania):
“We have similar body types and we’re both black,” Jones said. “And that’s about it. I don’t think we fight alike, I don’t think we fight similar. I do a lot of wrestling, heavy ground-and-pound, a lot of submissions – I strike in both stances, I feel like our games are very different.
“But I do respect him, a lot. I think he is going to be a force to be reckoned with. He is great for the sport, great talker and he finishes fights. He is a very exciting young man.”
Adesanya will take on Silva in the co-main event of this weekend’s (Sat. February 9, 2019) UFC 234 pay-per-view (PPV) from the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. As for Jones, he will be defending his championship in the main event of UFC 235. That PPV goes down from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 2, 2019.
What do you think about Jones’ reaction to comparisons to Adesanya?
Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva found something in common after Weidman’s horrific leg break at UFC 261 last year. Silva suffered the same fate in his rematch against Weidman years prior. One thing that they don’t have in common is failed drug tests, as Weidman made clear in this article published four years ago.
The following article was published on this day four years ago. It is presented to you in its original, unaltered form, courtesy of The MMA News Archives.
On This Day Four Years Ago…
[ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED FEBRUARY 5, 2018, 1:59 PM]
Headline: Weidman on Silva’s Second Failed Drug Test: It Tarnishes His Legacy
Author: Fernando Quiles Jr.
Chris Weidman believes Anderson Silva’s legacy has taken a massive hit after two failed drug tests.
Silva’s career may be coming to an end as he’s facing a four-year suspension. “The Spider’s” team has said their fighter will never compete again if he’s hit with a two-year suspension.
Weidman, who has defeated Silva twice, told MMAFighting.com that “The Spider’s” legacy has taken a hit:
“Yeah, it definitely tarnishes his legacy. You fail a drug test, your whole career is in question, in my opinion. And he failed them now twice. So definitely it tarnishes his legacy. I don’t know what else to say about that. It’s just another one bites the dust. It’s one after another. Literally, almost every guy I ever fought at this point has failed a drug test.”
He went on to say he isn’t surprised at the increase in drug violations.
“I’m not really that surprised. After the first one and now this one. He’s older now. I don’t know. I’m not super surprised. In Brazil, I know the steroids are very easy to get. A lot of guys were probably on them a long time. I’m not super surprised. The reality is that it definitely tarnishes his legacy.”
Jake Paul has pivoted from his previously ambivalent stance towards a potential boxing match against UFC legend Anderson Silva.
Paul is coming off of back-to-back wins over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in 2021 preceded by a first-round knockout of former UFC fighter Ben Askren. He’s aiming at another eventful year in the ring in 2022 with a return expected sometime later this year.
Speculation has run rampant regarding who Paul could face for his next ring appearance. Paul has previously downplayed the idea of facing Silva in the ring, citing Silva being in the later stages of his combat sports career.
His position on a fight with Silva has changed in recent days. During an interview on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Paul was asked whether or not he would consider a fight against Silva for his next boxing challenge.
“Yes, definitely,” Paul said. “Definitely. I would love that fight.”
Paul went on to detail how Silva was an inspiration for him growing up, and even got to meet him early in his childhood.
“And interesting story, I think he was the first celebrity I ever saw. So right when MMA was blowing up, my dad was a super big fan and we went to this local MMA event. And they must have paid Anderson Silva to come because it was like in Ohio, so I don’t know why he would have been there.
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“But I actually asked for his autograph. And we took a picture with him…I’m maybe like 12 years old. But I think he was the first celebrity that I met. So it would be fun to bring it back full circle and fight someone who was, I guess, one of my first idols.”
Paul has also reportedly hinted at a potential matchup with one of Silva’s recent boxing opponents, Julio César Chávez. After defeating Chavez Jr. in a back-and-forth war, Silva knocked out fellow UFC alumni Tito Ortiz last year.
Silva had also previously been rumored to fight Jake’s brother Logan in the ring. However, nothing ever materialized from those alleged talks.
It’s unclear who Paul will face next in his boxing tenure, but Silva appears to be a potential option moving forward.
Would you be interested in a Jake Paul vs. Anderson Silva boxing match?
Daniel Cormier thinks UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya is great, but not to the level of Anderson Silva yet as some fans think.
Adesanya is set to face former champion Robert Whittaker in a rematch at UFC 271. Since he first earned the title over Whittaker, he’s defended his belt against Paulo Costa, Yoel Romero, and Marvin Vettori in dominant performances.
“No. Dude, Anderson Silva existed. Anderson Silva existed. Like, I don’t get this recency bias that fans have,” Cormier said during a recent episode of DC&RC. “Honestly RC, I think the word ‘GOAT’ gets thrown around way too easy in fight sports. The only person that doesn’t get passed is Muhammad Ali and there have been some really impressive fighters, but people recognize what Muhammad Ali was. Anderson Silva was to MMA what Muhammad Ali was to boxing. No, [Israel Adesanya] has some work to do to catch Anderson.” (h/t SportsKeeda)
Silva is arguably the greatest UFC fighter of all time, regardless of weight class. His run as the middleweight champion was a spectacle that has arguably yet to be replicated.
Adesanya defeated Silva at UFC 234 when Silva was arguably years past his prime. Following his losses to Chris Weidman, Silva was never quite able to repeat the magic that he created as the middleweight king.
Adesanya’s lone blemish on his UFC record came against Jan Blachowicz at UFC 259 for the light heavyweight belt. While he had his fair share of moments on the feet, Blachowicz used his grappling and size to smother Adesanya in the later rounds.
Adesanya certainly has the potential to be an all-time great, but Cormier thinks he has some work to do to warrant that distinction.
Do you agree with Daniel Cormier regarding Israel Adesanya?
Askren spent most of his MMA days fighting for Bellator and ONE Championship in Japan. When he finally got his chance in the UFC, unfortunately, it did not go his way. With one win in the UFC, followed by being made into a meme by Jorge Masvidal, Askren decided to try his hand at boxing.
Askren was the first former MMA fighter to challenge Paul inside the squared circle and lost. Since then, Paul’s targeting of MMA fighters is becoming his signature move in boxing. He has been rumored to want a fight with former UFC champion Anderson Silva. Although this bout is far from confirmed, Askren is hoping that Silva can do what no other man has done yet, stop Paul in the ring.
“I thought Tyron [Woodley] was going to. The first bout was obviously really competitive,” Askren told MMA Island. “Anderson Silva looked great in his one boxing match he did. It was against a guy who had a significant amount of boxing experience, so I would say yeah, I would think so. If Anderson can’t do it, then shit, Jake Paul is pretty damn good.”
Silva has had four professional boxing fights since retiring from the UFC. He has won his last three bouts, including the win Askren referenced that came over Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. and most recently over fellow former UFC fighter Tito Ortiz. Silva has expressed interest in taking on Paul, but nothing has materialized on that fight being made as of this writing.
Do you think Anderson Silvawould be able to beat Jake Paul in the boxing ring?
UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling likes Jake Paul’s chances in a hypothetical boxing match against MMA legend Anderson Silva.
Paul wrapped up his impressive run in 2021 with back-to-back wins over former UFC champion Tyron Woodley. An undefeated boxer, Paul was originally scheduled to face Tommy Fury before Fury pulled out with an injury.
Speculation has run rampant regarding who Paul could face next in the boxing ring. One of the names that has come up is Silva, who was allegedly in brief talks to fight Jake’s brother Logan before negotiations stalled.
“I know Anderson Silva was supposedly a frontrunner to fight Jake,” Sterling said. “If Jake were to connect, I think he would really hurt Anderson. I think Paul is going to tie him up, lean on him. He’s a young guy, he’s going to grab him. Against Woodley, he clinched 30 times over the first five rounds. With this one, Silva’s got hands. But the only thing is, can he take a shot?”
Following his latest knockout win over Woodley, Paul alluded to taking some time away from the boxing spotlight. He’s allegedly anticipating a return to the ring this summer, although a scheduled fight earlier is certainly possible.
Silva most recently defeated former UFC colleague Tito Ortiz in a first-round knockout. Before that, he had defeated Julio César Chávez in an impressive decision victory.
Silva has vocalized his interest in boxing the Paul brothers at some point, although it’s unclear if a fight between the two sides will come to fruition. He’s also hinted at a potential boxing rematch against Vitor Belfort.
Paul seems determined to continue to fight MMA stars, including Nate Diaz and Conor Mcgregor. However, Silva could be a name to watch for a potential bout in 2022.
Do you agree with Aljamain Sterling? Would Jake Paul “hurt” Anderson Silva in a boxing match?
Six years ago today, we ran a story about Michael Bisping’s newsworthy request for Anderson “The Spider” Silva ahead of their 2016 classic.
In 2015, Anderson Silva was hit with a one-year suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for the banned substances Drostanolone and Androstane. Silva maintained his innocence and claimed that a “sexual performance medication” he took tainted his drug test result for his fight against Nick Diaz in January of that year.
Silva’s victory over Diaz at UFC 183 was overturned to a no-contest when Silva’s defense failed. In his first fight back, the former middleweight ruler was set to face Michael Bisping, who was coming into the fight on a two-fight winning streak.
After the UFC officially announced that Bisping would face Silva in London, “The Count” took a jab at Silva on Twitter.
“@SpiderAnderson see you in London my friend! Just leave the viagra out of it! #randomtesting”
Michael Bisping has always been one of the more vocal fighters regarding the subject of performance-enhancing drugs in the sport. Another Brazilian who Bisping has taken to task on the matter is Vitor Belfort, someone the Brit continues to throw shots at to this day regarding PED usage.
Michael Bisping & Anderson Silva Meet In London—Sans Viagra
UFC Fight Night: Silva vs. Bisping took place on February 27, 2016, at The O2 Arena in London, England. What transpired in the main event was a battle for the ages and one of the best fights of the year. And just as Bisping requested, there was no mention of viagra after the post-fight drug test results came in.
Below, you can watch the classic between Bisping and Silva in its entirety.
