Does Anderson Silva’s win over Thales Leites make him a more dangerous fighter? Silva is used to knocking guys out in the first few rounds, but his fight with Leites showed a different dimension to his game. He showed that he wasn’t going to be overly aggressive and that winning is the most important thing to him. That’s not good for any other middleweight.
If he was a little more aggressive, he might be a little more careless. Instead, he comes into a fight with a plan and executes it flawlessly. As his manager, Ed Soares, has said in the press lately, Silva went five rounds and barely broke a sweat and left without a mark.
Coming off a bad showing against Patrick Cote, I thought he might work harder to put on a good show. When Leites kept dropping, it had to be tempting to take the fight to the ground. After all, Silva’s pretty solid on the ground as well. He didn’t, though. He played it smart and picked Leites apart, even knowing the fight would go longer than any of his others.
He could’ve taken Leites lightly because he didn’t have a high-profile resume or he could’ve been aggressive coming off of the Cote performance. But he fought a measured, calculated fight and that type of focus has to make him an even more dangerous opponent.
I know Silva is taking a hit from many fans who are now questioning whether he belongs at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings, but I don’t think he’s any less terrifying as a champion now.
I don’t think we’re going to see a Matt Serra over Georges St. Pierre equivalent for Silva. And when it comes to GSP, it’s rumored he will be the next opponent (potentially) for Silva. Dana White has addressed those rumors several times in the past and if GSP beats Thiago Alves at UFC 100, this fight will come together. Even still, I think GSP will be in trouble as the smaller fighter, so who will be the next great challenge for Silva?
by Mark Chalifoux
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