In a previous article I said that the newly crowned middleweight champion of Strikeforce Cung Le is probably the best striker short of Anderson Silva. With an impressive resume both in K1 and as a mixed martial artist, Cung Le is yet to meet a real rival in the stand-up game.

However, MMA isn't just about stand up and it doesn't really seem like any of his opponents have made the conscious effort to take the fight to the ground. Anderson Silva, on the other hand has fought and finished fights everywhere. When it all boils down, who would win in a fight?

Cung Le: 6-0-0 with all wins coming via (T)KO. Cung Le is a Shan Shou fighter and gained popularity from said matches, which are, simply speaking, kickboxing matches with take downs, but no ground game. He is known for his scissor kick take down as well as his incredible powerful and unorthodox kicks. His main attack seem to be roundhouse kicks (which were the cause of Frank Shamrock's broken arm) and side kicks to the ribs and abdomen.

Le has a amateur background in wrestling and, so far, does an adequate job of avoiding take downs. He is yet untested versus a high level submission fighter, but few are able to get past his striking, which keep most fighters from shooting in.

To date, Le's only true competition in terms of a high caliber fighter has been Frank Shamrock, who refused to fight a ground game and suffered the consequences. 

Anderson Silva: 21-4-0 with 12 wins by(T)KO, 4 by submission and 5 by decision. His losses include 2 by submission, 1 by decision and 1 by DQ due to an illegal kick.  Silva is an acclaimed Muay Thai kickboxer and a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under the Nogueira brothers. He is known for his powerful clinch and knee strikes, but also for his pinpoint accuracy with both punches and kicks. He is an incredibly patient fighter who rarely comes out on the offensive, instead opting to size up his opponent before striking.

What really has to be said about Anderson Silva that hasn't already been said? He is the best middleweight fighter in the world and possible the best pound for pound fighter in MMA, maybe even ever.

Silva's resume is a whose who of great fighters including, but not limited to: Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Nate Marquart, Travis Lutter, Jeremy Horn and Carlos Newton. Not only does it seem like Silva has been able to make the transition that few Pride fighters have been able to do in crossing over into the Octagon, he has made it his home. In 6 fights he is yet to have a match go past the second round and shows no signs of giving up his belt any time soon.

Predictions: This would be an excellent stand up fight. On one side you have Cung Le, a man who is very good at keeping fighters at a distance using his kicks and on the other you have Silva, who is very good at getting fighters in his clinch.

If Silva is able to move in, never mind his height and reach advantage which could result in a KO due to punches, Cung Le is also excellent at take downs. However, it would be like stepping out of the frying pan and into the fire. Silva is far too experienced a submission fighter for Le on the ground. Le would do best by trying to keep Silva at a distance with his kicks and hope for an act of God.

Result: Anderson isn't going to have to worry about a third round here either. While this fight could end quickly with a knockout from Silva's punches (ask Chris Leben about those), I could see this fight making it to the second round before Silva ends it with a submission on the ground.