I don't think I've walked away from a PPV and felt that was an excellent, tremendous show since UFC 92. 93 was good, 94 was good for like 1 fight, 95 was meh, 96 was meh, and now 97 is just there.
i didn't think that was a good performance at all. silva looked bored, and was just going through the motions.
Basically. I mean Silva had his arms completely down time after time. Can you blame him though? Leites isn't any threat at all to Silva and he knew that.
The man who taught Vince Russo everything he knows
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Bangor, Wales
Posts: 1,934
Re: Official UFC/MMA Discussion Thread
You can say Silva fought smart or whatever, but goddman that was a stinker of a main event. That was boring to watch for the most part. If I had paid, I'd be angry. What the fuck is going on when Anderson has the most boring match on the card, AND goes to a descision?
Shogun is back in the picture, which I'm very excited about. I was cursing with excitement when he finished Liddell. Really looking forward to his next fight.
EDIT: I really hope GSP beats Anderson.
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Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man.
Most of the time when someone says something alone the lines of a fighter's career deteriorating at the seams, it's bullshit because the fighter in question has lost one fight. Unfortunately when discussing Chuck we're dealing with a fighter who has lost four of his last five and just doesn't look like the fighter he was and it isn't just bandwagon jumpers saying it.
He's 39 which is far past the prime of a typical combat athlete, he's notorious for a fast and hard lifestyle which certainly isn't good for a pro athlete's longevity, and the fight tape tells the rest of the story. He's not as fast as he was, his reflexes and timing are off, and he just came off the receiving end of a nasty KO. People like to attribute Chuck's recent losses to an outdated style but I don't think that's it in the least.
Liddell's style, an accurate counterpuncher with an ironclad sprawl spells trouble for mostly anyone aside from an even better boxer, but it doesn't work that way anymore because counterpunching is a skill that requires reflexes and timing in abundance and unfortunately those are some of the first things a fighter loses with age. His chin also appears to have softened somewhat which is another thing that doesn't bode well for a guy who's defense was based not around keeping his hands up but rather absorbing shots and countering with something harder.
When dealing with Silva, it's clear that people don't want to engage with him and would rather play their cards right, backpedal and set up their shots effectively. Not aesthetically appealing, but this is what you're going to get when you have the P4P most dangerous striker in MMA taking on a guy whose game devolved around mere shots and attempts without any spring in his right leg. Thales also isn't synonymous for his inherent counter fighting ability, and was far more concerned with the potential of getting viciously decapitated and kicked in the mug rather than finding success in setting up strikes.
Official UFC/MMA Discussion Thread
Re: Official UFC/MMA Discussion Thread
