Wanderlei Silva and 5 Fighters Whose Aggression Works Against Them

As fans, we love to see aggression inside the cage. It is the singular guarantor of what we pay to see: action.

But for fighters, aggression also goes hand-in-hand with risk.

It runs contrary to the basic combat sports principle of “hit and don’t get hit.” Few mixed martial artists have found a way to reliably mitigate the damage they take while attacking with reckless abandon.

With that said, compiling a list of fighters whose aggression is detrimental to their success was surprisingly difficult, since the majority of aggressive fighters are able to make the style work for them.

Additionally, the professionalisation of MMA means that the athletes have become much more circumspect in recent years.

Even in some of the names I have included, one might be able to highlight certain ambiguities and poke holes in my reasoning.

So feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comment section.

Without further delay, here is my rundown of the five fighters who suffer most due to their own aggression.

5. Miguel Torres

Like most fighters on this list, Miguel Torres has been able to make his aggression work for him on many occasions.

Indeed, the former WEC bantamweight champ crafted a reputation as one of the best fighters on the planet due to his wild but effective style of fighting.

Unfortunately, that same style eventually took its toll.

We first witnessed Torres’ diminished punch-resistance when he was knocked out by Brian Bowles in mid-2009, after he characteristically rushed into the fray with scant regard for his own safety.

Torres attempted to adapt his style in order to compensate for his creeping frailty, but years of toe-to-toe wars had eroded both his chin and his reflexes.

He never truly regained his championship form, losing four of his next seven bouts, including a brutal knockout loss to Michael McDonald at UFC 145.

4. James Thompson

Anyone who has taken the time to watch his recent YouTube videos knows that James “The Colossus” Thompson is one of the sport’s most endearing characters.

What you might not know, particularly if your MMA diet has been restricted to UFC content, is that he is also a lot of fun to watch when he competes.

Most remember Thompson for his controversial fight with Kimbo Slice in the ill-fated EliteXC promotion.

As "fun" as that fight was, it was hardly the greatest representation of our sport, nor was it necessarily the best example of a James Thompson scrap.

The likeable Brit adopted a much more conservative style against Slice, which was a surprise to those of us who were familiar with Thompson’s body of work.

If you want a better example, watch his fight with Aleksander Emelianenko, above.

This fight not only captures Thompson’s unbridled aggression, but also why it has frequently worked against him.

3. Chris Leben

Chris “The Crippler” Leben is known as a fighter who will take three punches to land one of his own. His ability to absorb damage and the natural power he boasts means that this strategy has often worked well for him—his brief tussle with Wanderlei Silva is a good example of this.

Unfortunately, his approach has proved less successful against fighters who are either too slick or possess too much power.

The Ultimate Fighter season one veteran’s fight with Anderson Silva in 2006 perfectly illustrates the limitations of his style.

At that point, no one knew exactly how good the future pound-for-pound king would become, but we knew enough to know that it likely wouldn’t be wise for Leben to plod forward in a straight line, with his chin up in the air.

The fight lasted less than a minute, ending with “The Crippler” lying next to the fence after absorbing a volley of picture-perfect strikes from Silva.

A similar story unfolded when he faced the murderously-powerful Brian Stann in 2011.

Assuming he would win a gun-slinging contest, Leben marched forward and ate a combination of knees and punches that would have felled an elephant.

Like Miguel Torres, there is some evidence to suggest that “The Crippler’s” devil-may-care attitude has also indirectly impacted his career, by gradually chipping away at his speed, reflexes and punch-resistance.

2. Leonard Garcia

Leonard “Bad Boy” Garcia is a curious case. If one were to listen to him before a fight, one would get the impression that he wants to fight at a more measured pace, relying on technique rather than emotion.

On a number of occasions, Garcia has sworn that he is going to fight more conservatively, follow a game-plan, use his grappling, etc.

This attitude generally lasts about ten seconds, or until he gets hit—whichever comes first.

The Texan is at once capable and incapable of fighting any other way. He is capable because he has the tools to fight like a mixed martial artist, but he is incapable because he has the mentality of a pint-sized Tank Abbott.

We needn’t even consult Garcia’s record or point to specific losses in order to demonstrate that his untamed style has hindered his career progression.

At the same time, he has become immensely popular because of that style.

Had he relied solely on his technique, he may have developed into a middling fighter who competes in obscurity.

Instead, he spent some years in the sport’s premier organization, picking up bonuses and fighting in sold out arenas.

It really depends on one’s interpretation of Garcia’s career.

But competitively, there is no doubt that his aggression worked against him more often than not.

1. Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva’s place on this list really demands that I emphasize the present, given the success he enjoyed in the mid-noughties.

When he fought in Pride, the Brazillian relied heavily on his frenzied-style of fighting. In fact, one could argue that it was central to his success.

However, the success of this style tends to have an expiration date.

Not unlike Miguel Torres, the former Pride middleweight king saw diminishing returns on his aggression towards the end of his run in the Japanese promotion.

The decline started with knockout losses to Mirko “Cro Cop” and Dan Henderson, just prior to the UFC’s purchase of Pride.

On reflection, these fights signaled the end of “The Axe Murderer” as a truly elite mixed martial artist.

Such a decline is a common theme with fighters of this type. The human body did not evolve to withstand a decade-long beating at the hands of trained killers.

Diminished punch-resistance, reflexes, speed, resilience, etc. is the price paid for temporary success. But if you ask him, I’m sure Wanderlei Silva would tell you that it was worth every punch received.