Being Anderson Silva

What can I write about Anderson Silva that hasn’t already been written?  He is on one of the most impressive runs the world of mixed-martial arts has ever seen.  When The 6th Round’s inaugural rankings are released later this week, Silva is sure to be atop both the Middleweight set and the Pound-for-Pound set.  After his dismantling of Dan Henderson on March 3rd, the question became: What’s next for Anderson Silva?  Fans speculated on a possible jump to Light-Heavyweight.  Realists saw Yushin Okami as the next logical step.  Silva himself commented on dropping down to Welterweight.  But today we may have gotten our answer.

 Silva’s manager Ed Soares confirmed other rumors today that the Champion is interested in setting up a boxing match with Roy Jones Jr (http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=5868&zoneid=2).  This is the first time that the dream matchup between boxer and mixed-martial artist has seemed like a legitimate possibility.  General thinking to this point has been that the boxer would win in the ring, while the mixed-martial artist would win in the Octagon.  That’s what makes this possible matchup even more intriguing.  It is the UFC fighter leaving his comfort zone to seek out a boxing match.  And while  Roy Jones Jr. is certainly not what he used to be, he isn’t exactly a can either.  For Silva, its a no-lose situation.  A win makes a major statement for the talent level in the world of mixed-martial arts, while a loss in a boxing match is nothing more than what very well should have happened.  And Silva would have a very serious chance of winning the fight.  So that all being said, why is this fight such a bad idea?

Simply put, Anderson Silva’s work in the UFC is far from over.  In the Middleweight division, Yushin Okami is a legitimate contender, and the last man to defeat Silva (albeit by disqualification).  Does Okami pose a real threat to Silva?  No, but on paper he is at least a better matchup than Travis Lutter was.  There is also the possibility that the undefeated Paulo Filho, generally regarded as the #2 middleweight in the world, could come over from the WEC to give Silva a test.  Granted, Filho has not looked the same since coming over from Japan, and must still get past a rematch with Chael Sonnen. 

These matchups could keep Anderson Silva busy until challengers from other weight classes are ready to fight him.  Georges St. Pierre is probably three fights away (Serra, Fitch, Parisyan) from moving up to 185.  St. Pierre-Silva is an absolute dreamfight for hardcore MMA fans.  Silva would also have some interesting matchups with strikers in the 205-pound division.  Silva-Liddell would be a megafight as far as pay-per-view buys are concerned.  Or what about a matchup with Lyoto Machida?  Most people assume than Anderson Silva would be competitive at 205, but probably would not be able to attain the title.  But at this point, there’s really no reason to doubt him.

Of course, one boxing match with Roy Jones Jr. doesn’t imply that Silva is changing career paths.  He could certainly cash in with that fight, then return to action in the UFC.  But what’s the point?  Anderson Silva has the opportunity, if he wants it, to go down as the greatest mixed-martial arts fighter of all time.  The matchups are there- all he has to do is win.  Ken Shamrock left fighting to chase the cash in the WWF, and look what happened to his career.  Michael Jordan would probably have 8 NBA championships is he hadn’t decided to play baseball for two years.  There is no need for Silva to take a detour at this stage in his career.  Additionally, as interesting as the boxing vs. MMA fight would be, a majority of fans would probably be more interested in seeing Silva continue his reign of terror in the UFC.  And Anderson Silva is a smart man.  If I know all of this, chances are he does do.  Don’t expect to see the Champ in a boxing ring any time soon.

Tags: Anderson Silva, Boxing, Middleweight, MMA, Roy Jones Jr., UFC