Silva vs. Diaz Results: Winner, Scorecard and Analysis from UFC 183

Anderson "The Spider" Silva made his comeback to the UFC official with a unanimous-decision win over Nick Diaz in the UFC 183 main event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com tweeted out the result:

This matchup could have best been described as bizarre leading into the bout, and it didn't disappoint when the two stepped into the Octagon. Despite a mostly respectful buildup to the fight, Diaz immediately began his signature trash talk and antics in the ring, even laying down in front of Silva early in the first round. 

However, Silva showed flashes of his usual game as well. He opened up with some damage with a quick lead jab and leg kicks. In the end, MMAFighting.com summed up the opening action quite nicely:

The second round featured a bit more action as both Silva and Diaz settled into more exchanges than theatrics. Although the fighters may have intimated respect for one another, it was clear they both had bad intentions in the Octagon. 

As the fight progressed, the difference between the two fighters started to show. Diaz's usual reckless aggression was nowhere to be found while Silva started settling into a groove. The Spider's methodical attack started to mount, and damage was more apparent on Diaz's body and face. 

Heading into the championship rounds, Silva answered one of the questions facing him before the fight. Can his chin still endure significant strikes? Diaz landed some shots, but The Spider walked through them and continued to slowly pick apart his opponent. 

By the end of the bout, it was clear that Silva's combination of quickness and technique were too much for Diaz to overcome. It wasn't the typical lopsided affair that fans have come to know The Spider for, but it was an easy call for the judges. 

The win launches Silva right back into UFC relevance. After holding the belt for seven years, The Spider has been largely out of the picture due to his devastating leg injury suffered in his rematch against champion Chris Weidman. 

Now, Silva is right back in the title picture. UFC President Dana White initially said (via MMAFighting.com's Marc Raimondi) that Silva would be taking on the winner of Chris Weidman vs. Vitor Belfort for the 185-pound strap. However, he has since backed off that idea, stating that the direction that Silva goes next might be more up to the former champion himself.

"I don't think he needs 3-4 fights to get back to the title," White said, per Elias Cepeda of Fox Sports."But if he feels that way, he's the No. 1-ranked guy in the world, he can fight Jacare Souza; he can fight Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort, Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero."

That's the kind of power fighters can have when they are as big a draw as Silva. Despite back-to-back losses heading into the bout and more than a year out of the cage, The Spider is still one of the UFC's most recognizable stars. 

Regardless of whether he chooses to fight for the title right away or take another fight before attempting to reclaim his throne, fans will tune in. 

Eric Jamison/Associated Press

As for the star who wound up on the losing end at UFC 183, the future is more murky. Diaz has already "retired" once. The former Strikeforce champion called it quits after losing to Georges St-Pierre and was only lured out of retirement when offered the bout against Silva. 

At this point, it appears that Diaz is only interested in fighting the biggest names. The problem is, with three consecutive losses, pitting him against the biggest names is becoming increasingly nonsensical. 

If Diaz were a "normal" fighter, his current three-fight losing streak would be justifiable. After all, those losses include a controversial fight against Carlos Condit and losses to the greatest welterweight and middleweight of all time. 

However, Diaz has referred to himself as the UFC's "only draw" in the past. At some point he has to start fighting like it. Until then, his best option to set up another fight of this caliber might be to take a step down in competition and pick up a win. 

It's a strategy that worked for Silva at UFC 183.