UFC 148: Anderson Silva and "Respect"

Anderson Silva might be a venomous spider after all.

The Brazilian weaved his reputation carefully, upholding a placid, Zen-like demeanor throughout his UFC tenure. Chael Sonnen seems to have shattered that façade. Silva couldn’t resist Sonnen’s baiting words forever.

The hatred was tangible at Friday's weigh-in, culminating in a shoulder strike from Silva aimed at Sonnen's cheeky face.    

What incited Silva’s infantile rage? At the weigh-in, after the altercation, the champ bemoaned Sonnen for failing to uphold “respect”.

For you slowpokes crawling along out there, the weigh-in can be seen here.

Is “respect” really that important to the deified arachnid? It can't be. 

Sure, Sonnen isn’t an immaculate citizen. If “respect” begets honor, than the Oregonian is a crooked scalawag. But, as much as he spews about “respect”, Anderson isn’t an honorable soldier of Emperor Dana White either.

Silva’s track record doesn’t prove he’s a paragon of righteousness: He made a mockery of his fights with Demian Maia and Thales Leites. He adhered to the excuse that they didn’t deserve to fight him. In doing so, he robbed pay-per-view buyers of two main events.

You can say he doesn’t owe the fans anything, but as buyers of his product, he does owe us his unadulterated effort.

Moreover, he explicitly disrespects his opponents every time he drops his hands, a gambit he pulls often. I’m glad he does clown his slower foes because it’s a stunning spectacle. But to lower his defense against a man who’s been training in combat for years is the pinnacle of disrespect. 

His latest lapse in respect, that aforementioned shoulder strike on Sonnen, may garner a fine and will force fans to view him through a less peaceful scope. 

I’ll be happy if Anderson buries Sonnen on Saturday. But the champ shouldn’t tout the importance of respect, especially when he’s breached his own credo many times. His anger is understandable, but by lashing out, he’s proving to be a hypocrite.