Anderson Silva Proving Not to Be the Best Role Model for MMA

Anderson Silva may be the best fighter in the world, but it doesn't mean he's the best role model.

This in no way includes the UFC middleweight champ's fighting ability or dedication to the sport. There are thousands of aspiring MMA fighters who would give anything to have even a small fraction of Silva's otherworldly talent.

It wasn't like Silva woke up one morning and he was all of a sudden the best in the world. He has obviously dedicated his entire life to honing his skills and perfecting his craft.

Silva is living proof that great things come with patience and hard work.

With that said, people who aspire to be like you tend to watch closely. One doesn't become a great role model by simply excelling at his or her particular sport. A true role model lives by example on and off the field.

At the UFC 148 weigh-ins, Silva can be seen kissing a young fan on the forehead before stepping onto the scale. Minutes after the affectionate gesture, Silva was detained after checking Chael Sonnen in the face with his shoulder.

This incident came only days after an intense media call, where Silva threatened to "change the image of the sport" and "break all of Sonnen's teeth and limbs."

It would be far-fetched to suggest Sonnen didn't have any of this coming. For two years, Silva sat idly as Sonnen taunted his country, family and teammates.

If there was ever an invisible line never to be crossed, Sonnen stepped on and spat all over it.

Still, Silva could've turned the other cheek. Deep down, he knew he was better than Sonnen. The title around his waist proved it. Sonnen was merely on an extra mission to hype the "biggest rematch in UFC history."

Silva went on to defeat Sonnen in the rematch, but the talk of the fight mainly focused on a questionable knee thrown by the champ in the second round. In the UFC, it is illegal to knee or kick a downed opponent in the head.

Sonnen was obviously down in the seated position and pressed against the fence when Silva decided to sprint across the cage with a devastating knee. Luckily, the knee made contact with Sonnen's chest, but the top portion of Silva's leg popped the contender in the face on the follow-through.

When an opponent is obviously down, why even attempt a dangerous strike like that to begin with?

Top Strikeforce middleweights Luke Rockhold and Tim Kennedy were both outraged by Silva's actions.

"I call it like I see it, and [the win] just looked dirty to me," Rockhold told the SiriusXM Fight Club.

Kennedy chose to voice his opinion in a post on Twitter following the UFC 148 main event.

"Wipe grease on your arms, grab your opponent shorts, and knee them in the face when they are down. That's how champions should act?"

Silva's bizarre antics extend well beyond a rivalry with Sonnen.

In his title defenses against Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Demian Maia, Silva looked more like a "Celebrity Dance Off" contestant than a UFC champion. In all three bouts, he pranced around like a modern-day Muhammad Ali, mocking and toying with his opponents.

The only difference was the fact that Silva seemed to enjoy dancing more than fighting. Was he simply bored with the competition, or did Silva have a legitimate excuse for acting the way he did?

After the Maia fight, UFC President Dana White threatened to cut Silva for his "embarrassing" Octagon antics.

Even Maia was surprised by Silva's actions during the fight.

"I just thought it was disrespectful for him to swear at me during the fight," Maia told GracieMag.com.

"Saying things like, 'You [expletive] momma's boy, show me your Jiu-Jitsu.' That type of stuff. I felt it was disrespectful and unnecessary."

Silva drew the ire of another Brazilian nearly a year later at UFC 126. He was slated to face Vitor Belfort in a bout between legends and two of the greatest strikers in MMA history. At the weigh-ins, Silva put on a white mask and began mouthing off to Belfort.

"I just know one thing: When you say silly things, when you do silly things, it's because you're worried, and you're trying to wear a mask," Belfort said in an interview with MMAjunkie. "The way I fight, and the way I am, I have respect. I just need to wear one mask: myself."

Belfort makes a great point about the many masks of Anderson Silva.

At times, fans see the disciplined professional athlete kissing babies and inspiring others through his flawless skills. Other times, they see a tremendous talent putting down and mocking opponents he believes are beneath him.

Silva never asked to be a role model, but when you're the best in the world at what you do, people expect more out of you.

Would Silva want that young fan at the weigh-ins acting in a similar manner?