UFC 126 Results: Why Vegas Proved That Anderson Silva and GSP Must Fight Now
UFC 126 was one of the most hyped events in history. The card was loaded top to bottom, and we were told that we were going to see "the biggest championship fight in the history of the middleweight division" between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort.
It's understandable why the fight would be presented that way. Silva has been the best middleweight fighter in the world for almost five years. He is as talented as any fighter in the history of the sport. He hasn't lost a fight since joining UFC in 2006, and has the most championship defenses of any fighter in UFC history.
Belfort is one of the most talented middleweight fighters in the sport. He has great power in his hands and has parlayed that into winning a vast majority of his fight by knockout. He was thought to be the next great fighter when he first started fighting in UFC when he was 19 years old.
Once the fight started, you could tell that Silva was on a completely different level from Belfort. Silva was dancing around Belfort, who was clearly intimidated by the stage he was on. Silva threw a a kick to Belfort's face and knocked him out cold.
It was the latest in a long line of fights where people have tried to convince themselves that Silva might actually lose.
One fighter who is in a similar boat to Silva is UFC Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre. He is considered to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, or at least tied with Silva. He hasn't been tested in a fight in over four years. He hasn't lost a round since August 2007.
Both of these men look to be unstoppable. That's why it makes all the sense in the world that the long rumored super fight between the two men will happen sooner rather than later.
Here are 10 reasons that Silva-St-Pierre must happen, and it must happen as soon as possible.
UFC Needs Big Fights
1 of 10
Last year, UFC set a new Pay-Per View record by selling over eight million buys. They did so largely based on the strength of Brock Lesnar’s two fights, Rashad Evans-Rampage Jackson and the two GSP fights.
This year, as things stand right now, there aren’t a lot of big money fights out there. UFC 126 has been predicted to do about one million buys, but we won’t know anything definite for a while.
UFC 128 could get a boost with Jon Jones taking Rashad Evans spot against Mauricio Rua. UFC 129 will do great because the card is stacked and they want to fill the arena in Toronto and set a North American MMA attendance record. UFC 131 will be huge because it will feature Lesnar against Junior dos Santos.
The first part of the year looks solid, but they need to plan for the back half of the year. A Silva-GSP fight could do one of the biggest buyrates in history depending on how the build is for the fight.
Anderson Silva Has No Competition Right Now
2 of 10
One of the biggest reasons that fans want to see Silva and GSP square off is because they are largely untested against the current crop of competitors in their respective weight classes.
For instance, Silva’s biggest challenge at middleweight would probably be Chael Sonnen. The problem is Sonnen’s personal life is a mess right now, and he needs to get things right before he can even think of his professional life.
Yushin Okami is the next scheduled title contender, but he has not performed well in the past when he has had chances to move up the ranks. In 2007, he lost a No. 1 contender’s match to Rich Franklin. Last year, he lost another No. 1 contender’s fight to Sonnen.
He defeated Nate Marquardt at UFC 122 to earn a title shot, but he is really no match for Silva. He is a wrestler, and as we saw with Sonnen, wrestlers can give Silva problems. But he isn’t as accomplished at wrestling as Sonnen is. He can’t keep up with Silva’s speed and quickness.
Anderson Silva Needs Some Motivation
3 of 10
No one can deny that Anderson Silva is a great fighter. The problem is he knows how great he is, and he often takes advantage of his opponents as a result. He will spend time dancing around the octagon to humiliate his opponent.
Even in the Belfort fight, Silva was dancing around, taunting the challenger to do something.
He needs to step into the octagon with someone who can match his skill set. This could motivate him to take the fight seriously and not insult the intelligence of his opponent or the audience watching at home.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
How Do You Sell An Anderson Silva Fight With Anyone Else?
4 of 10
Going back to the business side of things, how can UFC possibly market a fight featuring Silva that people would care about?
They were stretching the truth with Belfort, and we saw how well that fight turned out. You have to stack the card whenever Silva fights because people don’t like him, and no one has proven they can contend with him.
Are you really going to pay $50 to see Silva fight Yushin Okami?
Silva needs to be matched up with a big draw in order to sell a fight, and GSP is the second biggest draw in UFC today.
GSP Has No Competition Right Now
5 of 10
Much like Silva, St-Pierre is struggling to find real competition in the welterweight division. That’s really how all the talk about this superfight got started. Both guys are so dominant in their respective weight classes that it only makes sense that they should fight each other.
St-Pierre’s recent resume is even more impressive than Silva’s.
He hasn’t lost a round in a fight since UFC 97 against Josh Koscheck. People want to bash on him because he doesn’t finish fights, but he is very methodical and tears his opponents apart.
He has to defend the Welterweight Championship against Jake Shields at UFC 129, but Shields' skill set doesn’t really matchup well with GSP. Don’t expect an upset in that fight.
Georges St-Pierre Has Nothing Left To Prove As a Welterweight (cont'd)
6 of 10
Georges St-Pierre is nothing if not a realist. He understands what he has done as a welterweight fighter, and there is no one else in that division who can keep up with him.
Nothing against Jake Shields, who is a good tactician, but he isn’t in GSP’s league. So after UFC 129, where would he possibly go? Another fight against Jon Fitch; does anyone really want to see that again?
He can’t possibly beat anyone in the welterweight division that will help him improve as a fighter or improve his legacy as a fighter.
It only makes sense that someone as fierce a competitor as GSP would want to test himself in every conceivable way.
Can GSP Compete At a Different Weight Class?
7 of 10
Anderson Silva has challenged himself in the light heavyweight division with two victories in the weight class, including a dominant victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 101.
We know the skills that GSP has, and we all want to see how they would play against fighters who are a little bit heavier than what he is accustomed to.
The decision ultimately rests with GSP and what he feels is in the best interest of his career, but if he dominates Jake Shields, that decision probably becomes a little bit easier for him to make.
Everyone Wants To See the Fight Happen
8 of 10
Usually, when someone says that everyone wants to see something happen that only implies fans. In this case, we know that everyone inside UFC and outside wants to see this dream fight happen.
Dana White has gone on record saying that he would love to have these two men fight. Fans have been talking about it for years.
There’s not a lot standing in the way of the fight happening. St-Pierre seems like he is really determined to move up to middleweight and fight in that division in the future.
So what’s really left to stop it from happening?
Both Men Are In the Prime of Their Careers
9 of 10
It’s one thing to put the two best fighters in the world in the octagon at the same time. It’s quite another to do it while they are still in prime physical shape.
No one wants to see this fight happen after it’s too late. You want to capitalize on all this momentum that both these guys have built up over the last five years.
There’s nothing in the world that’s better than seeing two great athletes battle it out to determine who the best in the world is.
That window doesn’t stay open forever, regardless of how good both men are.
Don’t wait until it’s too late.
Wouldn’t You Love To See Anderson Silva Humbled?
10 of 10
Georges St-Pierre is a great fighter and he knows it, but there is a humble nature to him. He doesn’t try to show anyone up. He has a job to do and he goes out there and does it.
Anderson Silva is a great fighter and he knows it, but he also wants to rub it in everyone’s face. He did against Demian Maia at UFC 112. He did it against Thales Leites at UFC 97. He did it for a little while against Vitor Belfort at UFC 126. He wants everyone to know how great he is and to talk about it.
One loss could change all that, especially if it’s a loss to a guy who fights in a smaller weight class than him.
Silva needs to get smacked in the mouth a little bit and realize that as great he is, there are people out there that can compete on the same level as him.
GSP can, and should, be that fighter that knocks him around a little bit.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
