Anderson Silva: Did UFC 148 Win over Chael Sonnen Cement Legacy as G.O.A.T?

Fighters like Anderson Silva don't come around too often, so his legacy should be handled with care.

But the problem with crowning a single fighter "the greatest of all time" is the fact that there have been a handful of comparable champions in the sport's history.

Mixed martial arts isn't the NFL.  Its international interface has helped grow the sport into the budding entity it is today, but it also provides shades of grey when discussing the best of the best.

How do we accurately assess the greatest fighters of all time?  Is it based off title defenses or the caliber of contenders they fend off? 

Should we take into account the promotion they compete for or the fashion in which they finish fights?

All of these questions are relevant.  Some greater than others, but all relevant.

In Silva's case—who many consider the greatest of all time—his legacy seemingly holds up.

Now while it's difficult to stack him up against legendary champions who have manhandled their respective divisions—like Fedor Emelianenko and Georges St-Pierre—it's even more taxing to try to downplay his greatness.

Silva's rematch with Chael Sonnen at UFC 148 was seemingly more than a win.  His decisive second-round TKO proved that he has always been the best.

Be it not for a close fifth-round submission victory over Sonnen the first time around, we'd be having this discussion two years in the past.

Beyond the media frenzy leading up to Silva vs. Sonnen 2—which resembled that of a post-apocalyptic lunch truck line—Silva never slipped up.  His bravado inside and outside of the cage resembled that of a champion.

Sure, the occasional emotional slip came about, but how can you blame a guy for wearing his heart on his sleeve?

At this point, following yet another early finish against the No. 1 middleweight contender in the world, there is nobody left for Silva to face.

That doesn't happen often.  It's more or less a product of being that damn good, but also because the UFC middleweight division has never been the deepest of weight classes.

Does that play a factor in crowning Silva the G.O.A.T?

Maybe, in a hater's world.

But you simply can't ignore an undefeated 15-0 UFC record, 10 straight title defenses and impressive finishes over Rich Franklin, Dan Henderson, Vitor Belfort, Forrest Griffin, Travis Lutter and, now, Chael Sonnen...twice.

Not to mention transcending the sport and all.

So, by modern-day standards, Anderson Silva is the greatest fighter of all time.

For more UFC/UFC 148 news and coverage, @DHiergesell