UFC 139 Results: Wanderlei Silva and the 5 Most Fan-Friendly Fighters

Wanderlei Silva proved that he was able to turn the clock back at least one more time on Saturday night at UFC 139.  Instead of getting knocked out and finally being forced out of the Octagon, he was able to weather the storm of Le's kicks and come back with a spectacular knockout.

The strike that landed might have been chance, but Silva showed a veteran's wisdom and held back just long enough to find his openings while not letting Le recover.

Silva might want to retire with this win, as he still seemed to start slowly, but if he does want to continue fighting, then he certainly will do so with a large amount of fanfare.  It is obvious that Silva is one of the most exciting fighters to step foot in the cage.

However, if he did retire, it would be depressing, but not the end of the world.  That is because there are other exciting fighters in the Octagon who could entertain the masses.

Starting with...

Chris Leben

The last man to knock Wanderlei Silva out is also one of the most exciting fighters in MMA today.  Granted, he didn't look it in his last outing against Mark Munoz, but he still has carved a niche as a tough gatekeeper who seems to have granite for a chin.

In recent fights with Brian Stann and Munoz, it has seemed to crack, but if anything, it makes him even more entertaining.  His fight with Terry Martin was amazing, and it also shows why Leben has won Knockout of the Night three times in his UFC career.

He has also won Fight of the Night as well.

When he first appeared on The Ultimate Fighter, it seemed like Leben was too unstable to be in the UFC and that he wouldn't be there long.

Nineteen fights later he has not only stayed, but he has made sure that fans tune in every time he steps into the cage.

Nick Diaz

Nick Diaz is as much trouble in the cage as he is out of it.  Simply put, the man is a promoter's nightmare to deal with and doesn't endear himself to the media when he misses press conferences.

He also has trouble with making fights, not testing positive for drugs and seems to be confusing when interviewed.

However, he also puts on amazing fights that rarely see him go the distance.  His fight with Paul Daley was a classic and the fight against BJ Penn was incredible.

It seems like whatever demons fuel Diaz in his life also help keep him going in the ring.  As a person, it's sad to watch a young fighter struggle with such issues.  As a fan, it's entertaining to see him perform his own therapy with four ounce gloves on.

Hopefully Diaz will get help sooner rather than later when it comes to his issues.

Then fans can see more of him in the cage and have to hear less about him outside of it. 

Clay Guida

When fans see the hairy mop of Clay Guida bounce around, even before he gets to the cage, they know they are in for a treat.

Guida seems to be the kind of fighter that would outlast the energizer bunny and still have enough stamina to power the eastern seaboard.  The man does not get tired.

And with that boundless energy comes the ability to throw serious leather and take it as well.  Anytime a fight has a high volume of action, it is most likely going to be exciting.

And that always happens when Guida takes the cage.

He may never become a world champion but that isn't to say that Guida hasn't earned some distinction among his fellow lightweights.

He has won Fight of the Night five different times and Submission of the Night twice.  Some of those fights have even been considered Fight of the Year.

It might not be a belt, but it is something.

Leonard Garcia

Garcia is never going to win a beauty pageant in terms of looks or technique used in the cage.  The man is a gunslinger who thinks more about loading up his punches than where they are going to land.

It makes for terrible technical martial arts, but great for watching a good old slugfest.

He has had some incredible fights with fighters like Jung Chan-Sung and Nam Phan.  He did win some dubious decisions in those fights, but even bad judging couldn't truly spoil the epic battles attached to them.

He doesn't have the best record and some of those wins could and probably should be replaced by losses.  That doesn't matter when one remembers even one of the classics that Garcia has provided for the fans.

And it is worth remembering that even though Garcia may not be the most technical fighter, it is the most exciting fighters, not the most technical that sell pay-per-views.

Donald Cerrone

The man was in a fight with Ben Henderson that was considered to be a Fight of the Year contender back in the WEC.

He even rebounded with a Fight of the Night against Ed Ratcliff.

Though his second fight with Henderson wasn't even close to as exciting as their first affair with Cerrone getting submitted in the first round, he has since rebounded from it.

He got another Fight of the Night in the WEC against Jamie Varner and then proceeded to win his last fight in the WEC.

He has since fought four times this year in the UFC and won Fight of the Night twice and Submission of the Night once.

And he'll be fighting Nate Diaz before the year has ended.

Cerrone is an old-school type of fighter.  He wants to fight as much as possible and get into as interesting a scrap as he can.  His unique fighting style will not only keep him sharp in the cage, but will make for some very entertaining bouts.