UFC Steps Up with Champs, Haters and Enigmas
UFC Steps Up
Feb 29, 2008
Saturday night is all right for lots of things. For example, I've
been known to sit down with a nice cup of tea and dig into some
Kierkegaard or Wittgenstein. Maybe you enjoy working on
interpretive dance routines whenever the sun goes down on
Saturdays.
Well, I'm here to tell you that it's time to change. This Saturday night will be all about watching Dan Henderson (Pictures) and Anderson Silva throw down to decide who the premier Player Hater in MMA really is.
I hear they'll be deciding a title of some sort as well. Also lined
up for some fistic philosophizing are MMA's very own Hunter S.
Thompson and the man keeping several Texas hair salons up and
running.
Throw in an undercard with plenty of main card regulars and the possibility of Joe Silva running across the Octagon with a "THIS IS NOT JAPAN" sign, and you'd be a fool to pay your rent instead of ordering this pay-per-view.
Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson (Pictures)
If Dan Henderson (Pictures)'s mangled cauliflower ears are proof of anything, it's that the man isn't concerned with winning in style.
That roughhousing approach may be exactly what is needed to topple current UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva, who brings more style to the table than the entire Player Hater's Ball. Fur coats and alligator skin shoes aside, Silva (20-4) has been treating the entire division like a bunch of skip skaps and hulyhoops since signing with the UFC.
The reign of hate began with Silva using Chris Leben (Pictures)'s head to test the average cranial bone density of white males born in Oregon. Having engaged in the prerequisite "beat up a TUF cast member" shenanigans, Silva was immediately cast in the role of foreign invader against then middleweight champion Rich Franklin (Pictures).
If Silva was supposed to be bothered by that, no one told him since he turned Franklin's face into a scale model of the Pyrenees. A feat Silva would replicate in their recent rematch to really drive home the fact that we're dealing with a Hater par excellence.
With most of the division having been laid waste to, the gauntlet has fallen upon Henderson (22-6) despite the fact that the middleweight division has been little more than a part-time gig for him.
Seemingly preferring the masochistic grind of taking on ginormous light heavyweights, Henderson's brief middleweight sojourn in Pride lasted just long enough for him to collect both a grand prix and a division title.
Entering the UFC as a two-division champion thanks to his historic win over Wanderlei Silva (Pictures), Henderson already failed to unify the light heavyweight division titles against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The competitive juices undoubtedly played a role in his decision to drop down for a shot at unifying the middleweight titles of MMA's supposed "Big Two."
Unification won't be any easier the second time around for Henderson. Despite his success, he has been incredibly inconsistent as a middleweight. Dominant performances against the likes of Murilo Bustamante (Pictures) and Ryo Chonan (Pictures) do little to exorcise the specter of mediocre showings against Yuki Kondo (Pictures) and Kazuo Misaki (Pictures).
Toppling Silva will require not only Henderson's best effort but also his most disciplined showing to date. Long beloved by fans for his aggressive striking, Henderson gets himself into trouble when his punches start getting too wide and Silva's counter-striking style is custom-made for exploiting that weakness.
The obvious solution is for Henderson to revert back to his Greco-Roman wrestling roots, but Silva's own specialty lies inside the clinch, where his Thai plum has earned him several honorary degrees in maxillofacial surgery.
Even if Henderson can bull his way to a takedown inside the clinch, he lacks the sort of dominant guard passing ability that will be paramount in beating Silva on the ground. With his impossibly long frame, Silva has the luxury of either securing a triangle guard and forcing a restart or using his leverage inside the guard to push off and get back to the feet.
The Brazilian's offensive arsenal is simply too diverse for Henderson to work his way to a decision win, especially in a 25-minute bout. The early going will consist of Silva picking apart the holes in Henderson's striking, which will give way to an extended battle inside the clinch.
You can bank on Henderson taking a round or two from Silva by scoring repeated takedowns and having his moments with ground strikes. As the bout wears on, though, Silva will eventually grab hold of the Thai plum and put Henderson down and out.
Now if only Dave Chappelle would collect his marbles, so Silva can get his long overdue induction into the Player Hater's Ball. Anderson "Silky" Silva anyone?
Well, I'm here to tell you that it's time to change. This Saturday night will be all about watching Dan Henderson (Pictures) and Anderson Silva throw down to decide who the premier Player Hater in MMA really is.
Advertisement
Throw in an undercard with plenty of main card regulars and the possibility of Joe Silva running across the Octagon with a "THIS IS NOT JAPAN" sign, and you'd be a fool to pay your rent instead of ordering this pay-per-view.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have an eviction hearing to attend.
Anderson Silva vs. Dan Henderson (Pictures)
If Dan Henderson (Pictures)'s mangled cauliflower ears are proof of anything, it's that the man isn't concerned with winning in style.
That roughhousing approach may be exactly what is needed to topple current UFC middleweight kingpin Anderson Silva, who brings more style to the table than the entire Player Hater's Ball. Fur coats and alligator skin shoes aside, Silva (20-4) has been treating the entire division like a bunch of skip skaps and hulyhoops since signing with the UFC.
The reign of hate began with Silva using Chris Leben (Pictures)'s head to test the average cranial bone density of white males born in Oregon. Having engaged in the prerequisite "beat up a TUF cast member" shenanigans, Silva was immediately cast in the role of foreign invader against then middleweight champion Rich Franklin (Pictures).
If Silva was supposed to be bothered by that, no one told him since he turned Franklin's face into a scale model of the Pyrenees. A feat Silva would replicate in their recent rematch to really drive home the fact that we're dealing with a Hater par excellence.
With most of the division having been laid waste to, the gauntlet has fallen upon Henderson (22-6) despite the fact that the middleweight division has been little more than a part-time gig for him.
Seemingly preferring the masochistic grind of taking on ginormous light heavyweights, Henderson's brief middleweight sojourn in Pride lasted just long enough for him to collect both a grand prix and a division title.
Entering the UFC as a two-division champion thanks to his historic win over Wanderlei Silva (Pictures), Henderson already failed to unify the light heavyweight division titles against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. The competitive juices undoubtedly played a role in his decision to drop down for a shot at unifying the middleweight titles of MMA's supposed "Big Two."
Unification won't be any easier the second time around for Henderson. Despite his success, he has been incredibly inconsistent as a middleweight. Dominant performances against the likes of Murilo Bustamante (Pictures) and Ryo Chonan (Pictures) do little to exorcise the specter of mediocre showings against Yuki Kondo (Pictures) and Kazuo Misaki (Pictures).
Toppling Silva will require not only Henderson's best effort but also his most disciplined showing to date. Long beloved by fans for his aggressive striking, Henderson gets himself into trouble when his punches start getting too wide and Silva's counter-striking style is custom-made for exploiting that weakness.
The obvious solution is for Henderson to revert back to his Greco-Roman wrestling roots, but Silva's own specialty lies inside the clinch, where his Thai plum has earned him several honorary degrees in maxillofacial surgery.
Even if Henderson can bull his way to a takedown inside the clinch, he lacks the sort of dominant guard passing ability that will be paramount in beating Silva on the ground. With his impossibly long frame, Silva has the luxury of either securing a triangle guard and forcing a restart or using his leverage inside the guard to push off and get back to the feet.
The Brazilian's offensive arsenal is simply too diverse for Henderson to work his way to a decision win, especially in a 25-minute bout. The early going will consist of Silva picking apart the holes in Henderson's striking, which will give way to an extended battle inside the clinch.
You can bank on Henderson taking a round or two from Silva by scoring repeated takedowns and having his moments with ground strikes. As the bout wears on, though, Silva will eventually grab hold of the Thai plum and put Henderson down and out.
Now if only Dave Chappelle would collect his marbles, so Silva can get his long overdue induction into the Player Hater's Ball. Anderson "Silky" Silva anyone?
Related Articles
