Everyone answers to somebody, so we, the staff at Sherdog.com, have decided to defer to our readers.
Our reporters, columnists, radio hosts, and editors will chime in with our answers and thoughts, so keep the emails coming.
This week, readers weigh-in in a wide range of topics, including Anderson Silva’s performance at UFC 97 and Kyle Maynard’s MMA debut.
Finally, don’t miss “Talk Back,” where readers sound off on Sherdog.com’s updated MMA rankings.
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The overwhelming negative response to Anderson Silva’s outing at UFC 97 concerns me greatly. This is a sport that has grown tremendously over the past 10 years, gnawing and clawing to get its spot amongst legitimate sports. It has seemingly evolved from a bare-knuckle pit fight into a sport that could challenge boxing as the premier showcase for athletic artistry.
What we saw last night from Anderson Silva was a pure masterpiece. And it was frowned upon with great scrutiny.
The response received clearly shows that at its core, this sport is still a pit fight about brutality and not a showcase for artists. A 12-round title defense in boxing equivalent to what Silva did would have been redeemed as one of the greatest performances ever. Having your opponent submit -- literally lay down on his back without even hitting him -- is the purest form of physical dominance and mental confidence that can be portrayed. Outclassing your opponent to the point where it becomes comical is something that only Muhammad Ali was capable of achieving.
Here we have a fighter who has achieved a level of such great craftsmanship that there is literally no worthy competition within his division. MMA, being what it is with five distinct weight classes, makes it incredibly difficult to move weight classes; adjusting to a 15-pound weigh-in differential is not the same as adjusting to four pounds. It’s much more dramatic, considering the walk-around weight grows exponentially as you get bigger.
A super fight with Georges St. Pierre would end in murder and would be an untimely loss for a fighter who has become the first in-home face for the sport. A move to 205 would prove what to whom? Silva weighed in at less than 185 for this bout.
I truly fear for a community that prides itself on being intelligent to have such a primitive “sex and violence” demand from these truly amazing athletes for which the sport has been pining.
-- Nick Davis
Brian Knapp, associate editor: The negative reaction Silva has received after his last two appearances, though some of it was warranted, borders on the ridiculous. Despite what UFC President Dana White would have us believe, the middleweight champion bleeds red just like the rest of us; he has flaws. In nine UFC fights, he has produced two duds. If I’m a promoter, I like those odds.
There are two distinctly different fan bases at work in mixed martial arts -- the intelligent longtime followers who understand the nuances of the sport and the bloodthirsty brigands who would just as soon watch a Michael Vick dogfight. To boo any man or woman who has the guts and wherewithal to enter the cage seems a bit absurd to me. Not every fight can end with a resounding finish or spilled blood.
With that said, Silva’s performance against Thales Leites at UFC 97 was far from a masterpiece. He spent as much time clowning around in frustration as he did attacking his opponent. Leites was there for the taking in the latter rounds, but Silva elected to fight not to lose, much like Tim Sylvia when he held the heavyweight championship. Remember his rubber match with Andrei Arlovski? Leites’ actions -- which included flopping repeatedly to his back in a futile attempt to lure Silva to the ground -- had as much to do with his limitations as it did with Silva’s incomparable firepower.
Plenty of worthy competition still exists in the middleweight division, including rematches with Yushin Okami, Nate Marquardt and Dan Henderson. Bouts with Demian Maia, perhaps the best functional Brazilian jiu-jitsu player in MMA, and Wanderlei Silva are also appealing.
With all due respect, a super fight with Georges St. Pierre would not “end in murder.” St. Pierre’s wrestling ability and athleticism make him an instant threat to the Brazilian, and if he can pass B.J. Penn’s guard at will, there’s no reason to believe he could not do the same to Silva. I’d favor the Brazilian, for sure, but I find the idea of his walking through St. Pierre laughable.
A potential return to 205 pounds also makes sense. It would open up potential matches with Forrest Griffin, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and even Randy Couture. Silva could prove quite a bit by running that gauntlet, don’t you think?