Defining a Champion: UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva

When people talk about any sport, there is a common question is that is often the hardest to answer: Who is the best?

Whether it is about a team sport or individual sport, fans still want to know who is the best. When someone asks who the best football team is this season, it is not very difficult to narrow the choices and pick one. But then ask who is the best football player right now, and debates begin.

In MMA, the clear distinctions have started to blur with the evolving fighters. However, one man has been at the forefront and has not left his throne.

That man is Anderson “The Spider” Silva.

He is the UFC middleweight champion and is almost universally agreed to be at the top of the pound-for-pound best fighters. This will always be arguable, but you cannot deny his dominance in the sport.

When you look at Silva, you would hardly be able to tell he was a fighter, let alone the best in the world. His does not have swelled cauliflower ears, and there is little scar tissue on his face. His general physique is not bulky, but rather very lean. He speaks with a higher pitch in his voice, and jokes around more than he is serious.

But once in the cage, he becomes something phenomenal. His precision strikes and ability to counter and dodge are legendary in the sport of MMA. It has won him the UFC middleweight title in 2006, and he has not been dethroned since.

When defining an MMA champion, one has to look at a few factors. By sheer numbers, the opponents they fought play a role, as well as the means in which they came out victorious.

Beyond the arena, fans and critics alike look at a fighter’s character and demeanor to determine if they act like a champion. Lastly, after winning the title many believe that in order to be considered a true champion, they must defend their title at least once. 

Silva meets these factors, and goes beyond in some ways. He not only is a great fighter, but he has an ability to be very unorthodox yet effective and do things in the cage others cannot do. His numbers speak well, with his record is 30-4.

Of those 30 wins, 23 have been finishes. Outside of the cage, Silva always seems to be cracking jokes or having fun. He is very friendly with fans when he meets them and has fun in his interviews as well.

The biggest criticism of Silva was his behavior in the cage against Demian Maia at UFC 112. His running-around antics made critics and fans alike upset; but many argue Maia should have engaged the champion if he truly wanted the belt. Whatever side you are on, Silva still has laid down a legacy that will be hard for any fighter to trump.

Silva is now 36, an age that is typically is either the downward slope for other fighters, or has already taken their careers to rock bottom. Yet Silva, in his most recent fight against Vitor Belfort, has given us an amazing knockout win. In August he will be facing Yushin Okami, the last man to give The Spider a loss, at the highly anticipated UFC Rio.

When defining a champion, many people agree that defending the belt is the most important factor. With Silva holding the UFC record for “most consecutive and successful title defenses” at eight, he has no shortage in that department. After UFC Rio, if he wins, Silva will once again extend the records that he holds and set a precedence only known to Silva.

The Silva factor can be summed up into one aspect. Where other fighters are looked at and said, “Wow…he’s really great,” Anderson Silva is looked at and asked, “How does he do that?”

Silva is a fighter whose career will be reflected on and played in slow motion more than most others. This is a testament to the Brazilian’s abilities. His fights make us double-take and leave us in wonder. He truly is a glitch in the matrix.

Whether you are a fan of Silva or not, one cannot deny his ability as a fighter in the biggest organization in MMA. He still retains that 12 lbs. of gold and does not show any signs of slowing down. Whether he loses his next fight or retires tomorrow, he will go down as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all-time.

EPISODE THREE of "Defining a Champion" Series: Anderson Silva

What do YOU think is Silva's defining factors that makes him a champion? Please leave your answers and why in the Comments Section below.

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