Antonio Silva: How He Matches Up With the UFC Heavyweight Elite
Any fighter who defeats Fedor Emelianenko is immediately worthy of recognition among the best heavyweights in MMA. Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva did more than just defeat Emelianenko this weekend; he may have put the Russian star into retirement. It was an upset nobody saw coming except him.
Silva, who was a 5-to-1 underdog before the fight, should be considered a legitimate challenge for any of the top heavyweights after Saturday night, whether they are in Strikeforce or the UFC.
His combination of size and skill is perfect in a division where we see most fighters have one or the other and very few who have both.
In the following months after he takes on the winner of Fabricio Werdum vs. Alistair Overeem, fans will have another chance to see just how good his skills match up among the best.
If he succeeds in winning the tournament and becoming the Grand Prix champion, the UFC will be calling soon after.
Antonio Silva vs. Frank Mir (14-5)
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Mir's strengths include being more well-rounded on the feet and having an excellent guard if he gets taken down.
Silva's strengths include being massively bigger than Mir and having more power in his strikes, especially from top position.
What happens in this fight:
Mir's most notable problems are against fighters who are heavier and stronger than he is. Silva is one of the biggest fighters in the division; 265 lbs, 6' 4" tall, 82" reach, XXXL hand size. These are almost identical to former UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar.
If Silva was able to get Mir down, he should be able to do copy what Lesnar did in their second fight. His Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt should be enough to avoid Mir's crafty and aggressive submission attempts. Add the 285 lb fighting weight to that equation, and Mir will find himself in the same situation he has found himself in time and time again.
Result: Antonio Silva defeats Frank Mir by second round TKO.
Antonio Silva vs. Roy Nelson (15-5)
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Nelson's strengths in this fight include having a powerful punch, great top control and a solid chin.
Silva's strengths include being more athletic than Nelson and having good take-down offense and defense.
What happens in this fight:
This is a dangerous fight for Silva early on. Nelson has power that is somewhat underrated even though he has shown it in his fights with Brendan Schaub and Stefan Struve by knocking them both out.
Nelson has a good chance of dropping Silva early, but Silva has enough experience getting hit that he can recover from it. If that doesn't determine who wins the fight, the outcome of this fight really depends on who gets top control and who stays there the longest. Since Nelson has the better chance of dropping Silva, his chances of falling into guard and gaining top position are slightly better.
It's a close fight to call, and it is probably a competitive grappling battle for dominant positions throughout. If it goes to a decision, it will be a close and controversial one.
Result: Roy Nelson wins by split decision.
Antonio Silva vs. Shane Carwin (12-1)
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Carwin's advantages include punching power, good take-down defense and a proven chin.
Silva's advantages in this fight are his cardio and his jiu-jitsu.
What happens in this fight:
Until Carwin proves his cardio can take him past the first round, he is going to have a hard time with anyone he doesn't knock out in that round. Silva has been knocked out before in a 2006 bout, but it was a controversial stoppage, and he has proven his chin recently against Mike Kyle.
Kyle does not possess the power Carwin has, but it isn't always how good your chin is; it's how you react. Silva reacted well and came back to knock Kyle out in the second round.
Carwin is fully capable of testing Silva's chin, and he probably does so early. It's more likely that this fight goes into the second round, and Carwin will find himself on the bottom of a BJJ black belt who isn't afraid to go for a submission.
Result: Antonio Silva wins by second round arm-triangle choke.
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Antonio Silva vs. Brock Lesnar (5-2)
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Lesnar's strengths include his wrestling and experience fighting the top guys in the division.
Silva's main strengths for this fight would be his jiu-jitsu, striking and his training camp.
What happens in this fight:
Silva has yet to fight someone of equal size and strength. Add wrestling credentials to that, and he probably has the toughest fighter in front of him. Someone who can take him down and control him would be his biggest threat, and Lesnar provides just that.
Silva has a chance of knocking Lesnar out, but it wouldn't be a one-punch knockout. This is why Lesnar probably can survive any attack Silva throws at him. He can be wild and reckless when he has an opponent hurt, and the same goes for Lesnar.
Training at American Top Team, Silva has an advantage in the training partners he can practice with and the better game-plan.
In a three-round fight, Lesnar has the advantage in capitalizing on Silva's biggest weakness and controls him once he gets him down. It's a struggle Lesnar can handle.
Result: Brock Lesnar wins by unanimous decision.
Antonio Silva vs. Junior Dos Santos (12-1)
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Dos Santos' strengths include his technical boxing skills, striking power and training at Black House.
Silva's strengths versus Santos include having solid take-downs, a tested chin and his size.
What happens in this fight:
This is still a fairly hard fight to predict because there a lot of unanswered questions about Santos. His take-down defense is still untested, other than when Gonzaga had him momentarily down, and he hasn't been on his back in the UFC. If he can avoid Silva taking him down, he best chance at finishing Silva is on the feet.
The style match-up this fight produces is an intriguing one, and anything could happen in the 15 minutes as the back-and-forth action ensues inside the Octagon.
Training at Black House with the likes of the Nogueira brothers, Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida give Santos an advantage with a well-rounded skill set to practice with. His boxing and the power he possesses is the key to victory in this fight.
Result: Junior Dos Santos wins by third-round T(KO).
Antonio Silva vs. Cain Velasquez (9-0)
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Velasquez' strengths include endless cardio, effective wrestling and ground and pound and his finishing ability.
Silva's strengths are his imposing size and weight advantage and having a versatile skill set.
What happens in this fight:
Velasquez proved against Brock Lesnar that he can compete with the biggest guys in the division and beat them in dominating fashion. But what happens when he meets up with a guy who's just as big as Lesnar with an all-around skill set? MMA fans would find out in this fight, and it would be one to remember.
Both fighters are hungry to be the best fighter they can possibly be. Right now, UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez is at the top of the division. It's impressive considering he only weights around 240 lbs and is beating guys with 30 plus pounds on him.
As champion, Velasquez has one big advantage in every fight; five rounds. If there is any heavyweight capable of going all five rounds at the same pace, it is him. As the heavyweights become more skilled, those championship rounds are going to be the key to victory for him in almost every fight.
Silva is big enough and skilled enough to challenge Velasquez early on but being 285 lb during a fight isn't going to help you in those critical rounds. This is where Velasquez steals the fight.
Result: Cain Velasquez wins by unanimous decision.
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