UFC 139 Results: Wanderlei Silva Is Still the Most Exciting Fighter in MMA

Tonight Silva showed the same characteristics that have made him a fight favorite of MMA fans everywhere.  He went from being battered around the cage by Cung Le, a former kickboxing champion, to knocking his opponent out in emphatic fashion.

It was everything we have come to know and love from the former PRIDE champion.  And yet a part of these exciting qualities has led to him taking more hits than might be healthy.

Tonight it seemed like Silva was a little slower, a little weaker when it came to his chin and a lot more off-balance.  He was still "The Axe Murderer" we all love.  He just seemed to be a little faded.

Luckily, he was facing a 39-year-old who had been out of the cage for over a year.  The fight wasn't a mismatch, and Silva delivered.

He went through a rough stretch in the first round which at had some moments that probably made Silva fans wince.  It was brutal, as Le landed kick after kick and dropped the tough Brazilian to the floor.  It was amazing that Silva made it out of the round, but not surprising.

After all, Silva is a veteran who has been made famous because he's tough as nails.

And then something happened in the second round.  Part of it was that Le had spent himself with all of his high and mid-level kicks, having yet again exhausted himself in a fight.  Another part was that Silva seemed to shake the cobwebs from whatever Le had thrown at him.

And, of course, the final part was that one of Silva's bombs found a home.  It could have easily turned out a different way, but like many of his great fights Silva found a way to grab a victory.

It would be easy to say that Silva got lucky, but then again that would account for quite a few wins on his ledger.  In the end, the fight just ended like many Silva fights, where he out-toughed, out-punched and out-hearted his competition.  He made yet another exciting fight and, in doing so, put his future in his own hands.

Whatever he chooses to do now is up to him.  He has earned the right to decide what he wants next without the fans or his boss, Dana White, trying to choose for him.

It would be great to see him retire on a high note such as this.

But if he chooses not to, when he steps into the Octagon again it will be as the one fighter every MMA fan has to watch.  Silva is simply too amazing to ignore.