Chris Weidman wins via osteoporosis

[Zombie_Babies]

Yeah, it's no good. I can't understand how it sells PPVs either - unless it's all just to morons who don't know anything about MMA. I watched the later Lidell fights - and Tito and Rampage's, too - and it's painful. They're just shells and it's obvious. At least GSP went out when he's still close to his prime. That last 'win' probably wasn't but it was still a hell of a lot better than beating someone terrible after a lot of losses.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Yeah, it's terrible to see a once great fighter continue to fight after they have been hurt and they are no longer in their prime. Silva is still a great fighter, and he could beat a lot of guys still, but I think that unbeatable image that defeated his opponents before they got in the cage with him has been destroyed by Weidman. The next guy to fight Anderson isn't going to be afraid, or at least not as afraid. Anderson is going to get guys that are going to want to make a name for themselves by beating him.

GSP was smart to retire before he was actually beaten. I still think he won the Hendricks fight, but it was a razor thin win. He has taken a lot of damage over the years. I think that Shields messed up his eye with that eye poke that detached his retina in their fight. He seems to get the same eye hurt, or at least it looks like it bothers him, during fights. He did the right thing by retiring while still a champion. As much BS as people want to talk about the guy, GSP was always a top level fighter and that's how people are going to remember him.

Hendricks may end up winning the belt, but I doubt he is going to have a run like GSP did. When people look at it some years from now, they are going to see Hendricks as a guy who almost beat GSP, but didm't, and couldn't beat GSP's legacy either.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Yeah he did it the right way and in a way that no one else will likely do it. I wonder, though, how many guys currently at 185 could actually beat Silva. I mean, it's not like he's suddenly a terrible fighter, yanno? 185 isn't that impressive anymore.

I think it's a great point that runs like the one GSP and Silva had are not gonna be seen again (most likely). Those guys came up when MMA was illegal in a lot of the world. They became famous when the talent pool was a lot shallower than it is today. There was no such thing, for the most part, as MMA academies. People didn't start training specifically for competition MMA as children like they do today. Simply put, these guys were leagues ahead of the competition for a variety of reasons but some of those gaps are a lot closer today. Kids today know they need to eat right, know they need to lift a certain way, know they need to apply wrestling in the cage differently than they do on the mat, etc. A run like Silva's 10 years from now will mean something completely different, IMO. And it's really not likely to happen.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Yeah he did it the right way and in a way that no one else will likely do it. I wonder, though, how many guys currently at 185 could actually beat Silva. I mean, it's not like he's suddenly a terrible fighter, yanno? 185 isn't that impressive anymore.

Currently? Probably more than you would expect. Silva can beat guys at 185, but I think his greatest weapon, his reputation, has taken some hard hits after the Weidman fights. Silva defeated his opponents even before they got in the octagon with him to fight. His reputation scared guys to the point they were taken out of their game plan before Silva threw a single strike.
He taunted guys and made them lose faith in themselves. Just look at Griffin. He came out in an interview saying that Silva's taunts during their fights made him feel as if he didn't even belong in the octagon with him.

Now? Yeah, Silva's legend has been taken down a notch or two. Weidman made him look human. Whomever Silva faces when he eventually gets back will not be afraid, or as afraid, as he would have been before Silva's consecutive losses.

Then you have to consider the psychological impact of having your leg snap like a twig. Will Silva throw kicks like he used to? Will he be afraid if someone kicks that leg? I read an interview with Cory Hill, who had the same type of injury, and Hill said that he has to take pain meds on a regular basis. Mind you, Hill was hurt over two years ago, and he is still taking pain meds. Hill also mentioned that he thought guys wouldn't target his leg because of the injury, but instead he found that his opponents were purposefully targeting that leg. That has to affect you. Silva may be able to handle it, but you never know.

I think it's a great point that runs like the one GSP and Silva had are not gonna be seen again (most likely). Those guys came up when MMA was illegal in a lot of the world. They became famous when the talent pool was a lot shallower than it is today. There was no such thing, for the most part, as MMA academies. People didn't start training specifically for competition MMA as children like they do today. Simply put, these guys were leagues ahead of the competition for a variety of reasons but some of those gaps are a lot closer today. Kids today know they need to eat right, know they need to lift a certain way, know they need to apply wrestling in the cage differently than they do on the mat, etc.

True, but I don't know how well the new guys that start training cross skills from a young age will do. I thought that guys like that would be the new big thing, but Rory has been pretty disappointing lately.

A run like Silva's 10 years from now will mean something completely different, IMO. And it's really not likely to happen.

I disagree. I think it'll mean something completely different in fewer years. Look at Fedor's record. That guy went undefeated for two years more than Silva. He had a much longer winning streak. He was a beast beating guys that were far bigger than him.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Currently? Probably more than you would expect. Silva can beat guys at 185, but I think his greatest weapon, his reputation, has taken some hard hits after the Weidman fights. Silva defeated his opponents even before they got in the octagon with him to fight. His reputation scared guys to the point they were taken out of their game plan before Silva threw a single strike.
He taunted guys and made them lose faith in themselves. Just look at Griffin. He came out in an interview saying that Silva's taunts during their fights made him feel as if he didn't even belong in the octagon with him.

Now? Yeah, Silva's legend has been taken down a notch or two. Weidman made him look human. Whomever Silva faces when he eventually gets back will not be afraid, or as afraid, as he would have been before Silva's consecutive losses.

Then you have to consider the psychological impact of having your leg snap like a twig. Will Silva throw kicks like he used to? Will he be afraid if someone kicks that leg? I read an interview with Cory Hill, who had the same type of injury, and Hill said that he has to take pain meds on a regular basis. Mind you, Hill was hurt over two years ago, and he is still taking pain meds. Hill also mentioned that he thought guys wouldn't target his leg because of the injury, but instead he found that his opponents were purposefully targeting that leg. That has to affect you. Silva may be able to handle it, but you never know.

Yeah, all that's there and needs to be considered but so does the quality of fighter in that weight class, IMO. I don't think there's a lot of talent there but I could be wrong. Silva's a good fighter and guys still have to deal with that.

True, but I don't know how well the new guys that start training cross skills from a young age will do. I thought that guys like that would be the new big thing, but Rory has been pretty disappointing lately.

Yeah he has been but that's all still sort of new. We're seeing what amounts to the first wave of guys trained that way. Wait until they get some experience and start training guys with the knowledge of how what they were taught applies in-cage.

I disagree. I think it'll mean something completely different in fewer years. Look at Fedor's record. That guy went undefeated for two years more than Silva. He had a much longer winning streak. He was a beast beating guys that were far bigger than him.

And nobody talks about him anymore.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Yeah, all that's there and needs to be considered but so does the quality of fighter in that weight class, IMO. I don't think there's a lot of talent there but I could be wrong. Silva's a good fighter and guys still have to deal with that.

I think there are a couple of talented guys in there. I'm not saying everyone is going to run through Silva, but I think he is going to have a harder time beating some of these guys now that his invincibility aura has been taken away. Guys aren't going to be as afraid of him as they were before. That may be a bad thing for Silva. It may also be a good thing as guys may take him lightly and he will knock them the hell out.

And yeah, Silva is a good fighter, but we still have to see how well he recovers from that injury.

Yeah he has been but that's all still sort of new. We're seeing what amounts to the first wave of guys trained that way. Wait until they get some experience and start training guys with the knowledge of how what they were taught applies in-cage.

True, but I think that while they will be all around good, they will not be great in anyone discipline. Some of these guys are going to face people that are highly trained and focused on one skill. They might have a hard time taking on some of these guys that are far better than they are in one discipline.

And nobody talks about him anymore.

Exactly.

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

It looks like we were both wrong. Someone is talking about Fedor.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

I think there are a couple of talented guys in there. I'm not saying everyone is going to run through Silva, but I think he is going to have a harder time beating some of these guys now that his invincibility aura has been taken away. Guys aren't going to be as afraid of him as they were before. That may be a bad thing for Silva. It may also be a good thing as guys may take him lightly and he will knock them the hell out.

And yeah, Silva is a good fighter, but we still have to see how well he recovers from that injury.

Yeah, things will probably be different for him if he does come back. Age, injury, loss of aura are all gonna play a nasty role in whatever return he ends up pulling off. Still, he's probably top 3 at least without even fighting. If this was 155 or even 145? Different story.

True, but I think that while they will be all around good, they will not be great in anyone discipline. Some of these guys are going to face people that are highly trained and focused on one skill. They might have a hard time taking on some of these guys that are far better than they are in one discipline.

Maybe. I'd say definitely if that one discipline is wrestling. That seems to be the deciding style in MMA.

Exactly.

:la:

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Yeah, things will probably be different for him if he does come back. Age, injury, loss of aura are all gonna play a nasty role in whatever return he ends up pulling off. Still, he's probably top 3 at least without even fighting. If this was 155 or even 145? Different story.

Yeah, 145 and 155 are a murderous gauntlet of fighters. Aldo hurt his foot against the Korean Zombie when KZ checked one of his kicks. Aldo also trains with Silva. Aldo hasn't fought anyone in a while. He has also been real quiet, and it was just a broken foot. I'm curious to see how having broken his foot on a checked kick is going to affect him. Aldo also relies on his kicks during fights, like Silva.

Maybe. I'd say definitely if that one discipline is wrestling. That seems to be the deciding style in MMA.:la:

Maybe, but not necessarily. Silva did submit Hendo, and Hendo is an olympic wrestler with years of MMA experience.

 

[Zombie_Babies]

Yeah, 145 and 155 are a murderous gauntlet of fighters. Aldo hurt his foot against the Korean Zombie when KZ checked one of his kicks. Aldo also trains with Silva. Aldo hasn't fought anyone in a while. He has also been real quiet, and it was just a broken foot. I'm curious to see how having broken his foot on a checked kick is going to affect him. Aldo also relies on his kicks during fights, like Silva.

A broken foot is a huge deal, though. Can't push off, can't dodge, etc. We'll have to see. I wonder if we're seeing a coming stylistic change with all of these kick checks causing damage. Evolution or just temporary?

Maybe, but not necessarily. Silva did submit Hendo, and Hendo is an olympic wrestler with years of MMA experience.

Hendo was also past his prime, gassed out and was probably off the roids and test at the time.