On Oct. 25, 2008 the world saw a different side of Anderson Silva, one nobody could have anticipated or ever predicted.
That marked the date of UFC 90 where Silva successfully defended his middleweight championship belt against Patrick Cote after Cote could not continue in the third round due to a serious knee injury.
The fact that Cote made it into the third round was news in itself. It was the first time in the UFC an opponent had done so and the only time since 2004 (under the PRIDE banner) that this minor, but respectable, achievement had been fulfilled against Silva.
Throughout the fight Silva seemed not like himself. He did not want to engage. He was content dancing around the octagon and feeling out Cote for extended lengths of time.
Typically the feeling out process lasts only about a minute into the first round for Silva. From that point on, he usually begins his patented Muay Thai “eight points of contact” assault consisting of knees, punches, kicks, and elbows that traditionally overwhelm his opponents. This was not the case against Cote.
Was it simply a bad night for Silva or was it something more?
What was missing on the surface appeared to be his burning desire to be the best, to dismantle and thoroughly dominate his opponent like he has done so many times before, and to continue to cement his legacy.
He certainly was not having any physical issues. On the other hand, there did seem to be some sort of a mental battle being waged behind the façade that was tangibly taking shape before our very eyes.
He gave the impression he was preoccupied, complacent, and unfocused. These are characteristics that no professional fighter should ever acquire.
Looking ahead, there is a fight against Thales Leites looming on the horizon at UFC 97 in April. While Leites may not be a big name like Silva’s previous challengers, I would argue he poses the biggest stylistic threat that Silva has ever faced in the UFC, due to his superior submission game.
Other possible future opponents include Yushin Okami, Demian Maia, Nate Marquardt, Dan Henderson, Michael Bisping, and Rich Franklin.
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