Vitor Belfort-Anderson Silva: Phenom Could End MMA's Greatest Win Streak

Before I even get into this article, let me state for any first-time comments and first-time readers of B/R's MMA section that very, very few writers on Bleacher Report have been as blatantly honest and open about their favoritism towards Anderson "The Spider" Silva as I have been in the few months that I've been writing for this site.

As a matter of fact, I don't think I've written too many articles in which I haven't somehow alluded to Silva or the fact that I'm a fan of his.

Can you blame me, though?

Clearly, the Chael Sonnen fight—testosterone or not—did prove that while Silva will go down as one of the sport's best pound-for-pound fighters ever, his time on the pound-for-pound throne today is slowly starting to fade.

That doesn't mean the mystique around Silva is actually gone, though.

If the mystique was gone, that'd mean Sonnen would have gone the full five rounds with Silva—no triangle chokes or anything there.

The triangle choke in the near end of the fifth round actually highlights what people have said about Anderson Silva: The man may not have finished two of his most recent opponents, but if you open up a door, he can finish you off from anywhere he damn well pleases.

He's fought some of the best in the world, and he's beaten the best fighters in the world not named Georges St-Pierre.

Everyone, that is except Vitor Belfort, and even I have to question how Silva intends to beat Vitor.

On paper and in reality, people are looking at the recent decision to make Vitor Belfort the new No. 1 contender from two sides of the spectrum.

They either feel it's a decision made because Chael Sonnen is going through an appeals process right now with the California State Athletic Commission, or they feel that Vitor is finally getting the shot that he deserves.

For those who don't know by the way, MMA Junkie reported the news earlier of "Vitor vs. Silva" actually happening, and there's even a comment that argues a much more negative viewpoint of why "Vitor vs. Silva" is happening.

Regardless of why it's happening, it's happening and this time he's dealing with a different problem than a strong BJJ practitioner or an elite wrestler.

He's dealing with a man who might have MMA's fastest hands and be one of the best-conditioned athletes in history.

Vitor is a man who has a reputation of not being shy about throwing a punch, and if he has won by a head kick in a fight, I certainly haven't heard anything about that fight.

You're talking about a man with the distinction of knocking Wanderlei Silva out in 45 seconds—a man who needed just about the same amount of time to cut Randy Couture open and win the UFC Light Heavyweight title, and he only needed three minutes and two seconds of his UFC return against Rich Franklin to say, "I still got it, motherf**kers."

The thing about Belfort that is akin to Silva (so much that it's also Silva's biggest threat in this fight) is that he throws his shots from out of nowhere when he finishes guys, so he too can finish his opponents from wherever he wants.

That's a problem for Silva, especially if he throws anything flashy against Belfort, because as quickly as Silva goes for a knee or a jab or anything flashy like a spinning back fist or back elbow, he's going to leave an opening, and he's going to pay for it by eating a Phenom Left and collapsing on the canvas.

Now I don't yet see a takedown from Belfort, and a submission might be the way to go with Vitor if Silva can get it on quickly (maybe an Imada Triangle?).

The error in trying for a submission is that even when you think Vitor has gassed, he can rain down with punches from the top or hold you down on the ground and connect with a few short head shots from the bottom, and he won't look tired doing it.

Just ask Tito Ortiz.

This fight is the one and only instance in which I honestly think that Silva needs to do what he did to Demian Maia for three rounds in order to win the fight.

In other words, the only way I see Silva getting that unprecedented 13th successful win and that unprecedented eighth successful title defense is by way of a unanimous decision, but it has to be unanimous.

He has to make the best Vitor Belfort in MMA history look like the most under-trained Vitor Belfort in MMA history in order to win.

The Spider could do that to Vitor, seeing as how he's done crazier things in the past, but I don't see it happening against Belfort, and I'm okay with that.

Seriously, what future UFC Middleweight champion will be able to say he beat 12 guys straight in his first UFC run?

Which UFC Middleweight champion will be able to say he had seven successful title defenses in a row, even if two of them didn't end by a finish?

And name me one middleweight that'll become champion after Silva has long retired and taken his UFC Hall-of-Fame spot, AND have everyone in the MMA world calling him the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, bar none.

I guarantee that win, lose, or draw, you're not going to find him once Anderson SIlva is done with MMA.

Prediction: Vitor Belfort def. Anderson Silva by KO (Left Hook) in the second round.