No More Worlds To Conquer: Anderson Silva and the Tragedy of Greatness

The bizarre spectacle that fight fans witnessed durning the middleweight championship bout at UFC 97 was, to put it bluntly, an embarrassment to the sport of MMA. What transpired was not a pairing of equals, but rather the result of Joe Silva's astute decision to pit a cat against a mouse. In essence, the five round debacle between Anderson Silva and Thales Leites was nothing more than an attempt by the UFC to cash in on Silva's massive celebrity.

Still, it shouldn't be assumed that Leites is a substandard fighter; his record alone renders claims of inadequacy irrelevant. However, it was readily apparent to all who saw the playful mauling that Silva administered to his less experienced adversary that Leites was simply not ready to compete with the man who has been dubbed by the UFC hype-machine as "the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world." The obvious opponent for Silva to have defended his title against would have been the much maligned Michael Bisping, whose nearly perfect recond in the octagon effectively assured him of a title shot. Yet, rather than allow Silva to fight the number one contender for the middleweight crown, the UFC did what it has always done and protected Bisping from an opponent who could almost certainly have defeated him. From a business standpoint, one cannot fault the UFC for their decision; Bisping is the UFC's marquis name in the United Kingdom and to tarnish his record would, presumably, cause European fight fans to lose interest in a sport that is already dominated by Americans, Brazilians, Russians, and the Japanese. Therefore, with Silva/Bisping title fight doomed from the start, it should have come as no surprise to MMA insiders that Joe Silva and his ilk chose Thales Leites as their sacrificial lamb, no doubt hoping that he would prove more of a challenge for the middleweight champion than Silva's last opponent, the ironically named Patrick "The Predator" Cote. Sadly, much like Cote, Leites was overwhelmed by the mere presence of the champion and mounted no offense whatsoever for the duration of the fight, suffering only superficial injuries from Silva, who somnolently toyed with his prey.

Yet, if Leites was hesitant to engage in a striking contest with Silva, preferring to ineptly illustrate jiu-jitsu skills that were once the bane of lesser mortals, who could blame him? Since his arrival in the UFC in June, 2006, Silva has demolished the competition at 185 lbs, earning impressive victories over top ranked fighters like Dan Henderson, Nate Marquardt, and Rich Franklin. While his crushing defeat of respected brawler Chris Leben illustrated Silva's uncanny ability to quickly finish fights from the Thai clench, it was his domination of former middleweight champion Rich Franklin which proved that Anderson Silva was a fighter to be feared. Even though Silva's next opponent, Travis "The Serial Killer" Lutter, was certainly not afraid of him, as future competitors would prove to be, that didn't stop Silva from viciously defeating Lutter with a barrage of elbows to the skull while Lutter was simultaneously trapped in a triangle choke. A second display of striking prowess against Rich Franklin, followed by a submission victory over Dan Henderson, and a punishing knockout of James Irvin in his 205 lbs. debut cemented Silva's reputation as the most dangerous fighter in the UFC. With multiple wins via submission and knockout, pretenders to the middleweight throne quickly vanished as Rich Franklin fled to the light heavyweight division so as to escape the possibility of a third fight with Silva.

Still, it has been argued that Silva has not faced a truly worthy opponent since his victory over Dan Henderson in March, 2008. His past two bouts (against Patrick Cote and Thales Leites, respectively) have proven to be futile exercises in outlandish showmanship, with Silva playing the role of the charismatic champion, the disinterested genius, and the fidgety buffoon throughout the course of a given fight. The oddity of such vaudevillian performances was further enhanced by the fact that both Cote and Leites appeared to be wonderstruck by their good fortune at being involved in a championship bout with the peerless Anderson Silva. In their "fights" (if that is what one calls a pairing between a man and an inanimate object), Cote and Leites looked like rank amateurs, dazzled by the bright lights of a big city arena. It was as if any skill they previously possessed disappeared, as if they were magically enchanted by the aura of perfection that seemingly emanates from Anderson Silva.

Aware of his Svengali-like effect on Cote and Leites, Silva toyed with his opponents, daring them to fight back, oftentimes encouraging them to mount some semblance of an offense by holding his hands at his waistline, a gesture that is universally recognized as a sign of a fighter's contempt for his adversary's striking ability. Such eccentric showings by Silva have puzzled the MMA community, fueling speculation that Silva's unwillingness to finish his most recent fights is a form of protest and that Silva believes that he is not being truly tested as middleweight champion.

Yet, if someone is to blame for the fact that Anderson Silva is a ferociously dominant fighter who has scared off the competition, it is Anderson Silva himself. This recent wave of overly timid opponents and lackluster outings is not due to any failing on Silva's part, but rather a natural byproduct of Silva's unparalelled success in the UFC and is to be expected when a fighter rules his weight class with an iron fist. However, if Anderson Silva continues to defend his middleweight title against second-tier competition, the legacy of perfect that he has worked so hard to build will be irreprably damaged.

Nevertheless, the question remains, who is Anderson Silva to fight in the middleweight division? While opinions vary regarding such a question, the consensus is that Silva will have to move up to the ranks of the light heavyweights if he wants to seriously test his skills. There, Silva will not only find a treasure trove of talent but also a number of fighters who would gladly give him the challenge he so desperately seeks. Among the impressive list of potential competitors for Silva at 205 lbs. are former champions Forrest Griffin and Quinton Jackson, relative newcomers Luiz Cane and Thiago Silva, and, of course, current champion Rashad Evans. A Silva/Machida match would be a dream for fight fans, but would almost certainly never happen due to the close relationship that exists between Silva and the aspiring champion.

Whereas much of his future fighting career remains uncertain, it is only in the light heavyweight division that Silva can hope to end his MMA career and, therby, be fully recognized as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the sport. With four fights left on his UFC contract before his alleged retirement, Silva has more than enough time to challenge himself to the absolute limit of his abilities.

Already considered by many to be among the best to have ever graced the confines of the octagon, it is the inevitable tragedy of greatness that has recently cast a funereal cloud over Silva's career; a tragedy that no dominant fighter can ever manage to escape...unless they lose, and the illusion of invincibility that once surrounded them disappears along with their former greatness. Anderson Silva is now entering the most dangerous era in his MMA career, an era in which he can either risk everything by fighting more aggressive opponents, and thereby confirm his status as a legend, or risk nothing, and become a cautionary tale, a walking monument to wasted talent.