UFC 183 Silva vs. Diaz: Round-by-Round Recap and Analysis

Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz did the thing on Saturday night. The UFC 183 main event saw the return of two MMA superstars who stood toe-to-toe for five rounds.

Silva got the decision, but it was an entertaining five round affair.

Diaz did what Diaz does. He talked and taunted Silva as soon as the fight started, but Silva didn't take the bait. The former UFC champion picked his shots and won the fight. Silva sobbed in the cage following the decision announcement.

Diaz went over and helped him up and told him not to cry.

The emotional victory for Silva gets him back in the win column.

UFC 183 delivered an entertaining main event. Now the two stars will have figure out what is next in 2015 for their careers, but on the last day of January they capped off an incredible month for the UFC.

Round 1

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Here we go!

They meet right in the middle, and Silva begins to circle on the outside. Diaz starts dropping his hands and talks right away.

Silva sneaks in a right. Diaz still calling for him to come forward. Diaz lays down! Diaz backs to the fence! McCarthy calls for him to fight. Diaz in rare form tonight. Silva comes forward, but nothing lands. Diaz still baiting him in. Brief clinch.

Body kick from Silva. Leg kicks from Diaz. Silva now dropping his hands. Diaz landing. Outside leg kick from Silva.

They start mixing it up. Silva getting more aggressive. Diaz against the fence. One minute remains in the round. Diaz fires back. Good jab from Silva. Silva keeping the pressure up against the cage, but Diaz comes right back. They come back to the center.

Bleacher Report scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 2

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Diaz gets right back to the center at the start of the round.

Side kick to the thigh from Silva. The former champion misses a side kick up high. A lot of tension in the air.

Silva comes forward with a right, but Diaz dodges it. Nice low leg kicks from Diaz. Now Diaz goes to the outside with the leg kick. Half the round good as Silva lands a good kick of his own.

Diaz shoots in, but it's stuffed. High kick from Silva is blocked. Silva briefly forces Diaz to the cage. Nothing too much landing thus far.

Nice left hand from Diaz. Silva opening up more. Silva missed an upwards elbow. Straight left lands from Silva. Brutal kick to the body that Diaz just eats. Incredible. Diaz coming over the top as Anderson puts his hand on the back of his neck.

Diaz talks trash at the end of the round.

Bleacher Report scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 3

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Side kick to the knee by Silva. Outside leg kick from Silva.

Silva goes high with a head kick, but it's blocked and Diaz tells him so. Silva throwing the side kick to the knee more and more. Silva will not attack for lengthy periods of time. He is a counter-striker.

Diaz covers up well as Silva throws some shots. Silva picking up the pace. He misses a flying knee, and Diaz lands a right hand. Diaz lands the outside leg kick again. Diaz is starting to show some of the damage on his face.

The pace slows a bit. Silva waiting on Diaz to come forward. Silva misses a spinning wheel kick. Diaz circling close the fence. Silva checks the clock. Diaz fights out to the center. He lands some small punches in the exchange.

Bleacher Report scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 4

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

Silva still looking fresh. He stays active with his kicks.

Diaz misses a leg kick. Then he lands one. Diaz comes forward and lands. Silva being patient.

Diaz is not having his normal amount of output. He is struggling to get into range in these later rounds. Silva with a speed advantage as well as a reach advantage. Big issue for the Stockton native.

Good leg kick as Silva comes in. Diaz lands inside punches and elbows when they briefly clinch. Less than 90 seconds left in the round. Outside leg kick from Silva. Diaz with a painfully slow spinning back kick. Silva throwing the right hand, left kick combination a lot in this round.

Fans growing restless.

Bleacher Report scores the round 10-9 Silva

Round 5

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Final round. Time for Diaz to put something together.

Sweeping right hook from Silva. Diaz going back to trash talk. Silva not responding to it.

Silva with a lot more output that forces Diaz to cover up instead of firing back. Good left hand from Diaz finds its mark. Silva turning the tables a bit, but he backs away and they go to the center of the cage. Diaz with another good left.

Half the round gone.

Nice left from Silva finds its mark during a combination. Diaz fires back, but Silva doing a good job with his head movement. Jumping knee and wheel kick miss from Silva. Diaz showing the damage very much so now. Final 60 seconds.

Good straight left from Silva. 30 seconds. 10 seconds. Silva dodges a couple leg kicks in the final ticks.

Silva jumps the cage and embraces with Jon Jones.

Bleacher Report scores the round 10-9 Silva, and the fight 50-45 Silva.

Official Result: Silva defeats Diaz by unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)