Anderson Silva Is In Urgent Need of a Challenge

Anderson Silva's performance at UFC 112 was embarrassing. Firstly, it was embarrassing for the UFC, secondly it was embarrassing for his opponent Damian Maia, and last but not least it was embarrassing for Anderson Silva himself.

It was embarrassing for the UFC because Silva showed the world that the opponent they had put in front of him was simply not up to scratch. It was embarrassing for the aforementioned opponent for exactly the same reason and it was embarrassing for Silva because it made him look arrogant and disrespectful.

Neither of these are qualities I would previously have associated with Silva, a martial artist first and foremost. He bowed to Maia before the fight began in a show of respect but it was the first and last token of respect he would give his fellow Brazilian.

For 25 minutes Silva danced around and taunted Maia engaging him as and when he felt like it which, much to the displeasure of the crowd and commentators, wasn't very often. Despite this Maia's face bore testament to the one sided beating he had received with Silva picking him off at his own personal pleasure.

What was truly inexplicable about Silva's performance was that he decided to allow the fight to go the full five rounds when he probably could have finished it in the first. In the early rounds Silva was frustrated by Maia's understandable unwillingness to engage but as the fight progressed it was Silva who was the guilty party, dancing around the cage and even hiding behind the referee at one point, surely a first in UFC history.

Silva would not have dared show such disrespect to his original opponent, Vitor Belfort, who was replaced by Maia due to injury. Maia was not even the second choice but Chael Sonnen was injured and unable to step up to replace Belfort. As a result the gulf in quality between the two fighters in the main event of what was supposed to be a showcase UFC event was extraordinary.

I do not condone Silva's actions but the UFC has to share some of the burden of blame. If they could not have found him a credible opponent at middleweight they should have given him another light heavyweight fight instead. Either Antonio Rogerio Nogueira or Randy Couture would have been a far more entertaining opponent for Silva than Maia, who had suffered a recent first round knock out by another Anderson Silva victim, Nate Marquardt.

It should not be possible for a fighter to be so much better than his opponent in a fight for a legitimate world title and the UFC had no business making this mismatch. Silva is the best in the world and arguably of all time, but the opponents he is currently expected to face are not of a sufficient calibre for him to truly prove his talent.

Dana White will presumably read the riot act but I don't think a telling off from the UFC president will necessarily motivate Silva, no matter how expletive ridden. The only thing which I think will truly motivate him is the possibility of meeting his match in the Octagon.

The number of men who can provide this are limited. George St Pierre would be one and I hope the UFC does not make the mistake of punishing Silva for his lacklustre performance by taking a shot at the reigning welterweight champion away from him, assuming he can actually make 170 lbs.

Vitor Belfort is an interesting option because his boxing credentials are, on paper, far better than Silva's which should make for a more entertaining fight. Then there are another two Brazilians, Lyoto Machida and Mauricio Rua and, assuming he can do in the light heavyweight division what he has done to date at middleweight, the possibility of a move up to heavyweight.

Anderson Silva is not a naughty schoolboy, he is the greatest pound for pound MMA fighter in the world. The worst thing the UFC could do would be to put him in with an inferior opponent in the hope that Silva will score a highlight reel knock out.

Anderson Silva is a man in need of a challenge and it is up to the UFC to find one for him. No one can be less satisfied with the main event of UFC 112 than Silva himself. With the right matchmaking Silva will bounce back better than eve,r but if the UFC continues to match him with substandard opponents, they should not be surprised when he produces substandard performances.