Translating UFC 97
It was the second time the UFC rolled into Montreal and while MMA supporters left the Bell Centre disappointed with the main event, it was an eventful night nonetheless. The stakes were high in a co-main event that lived up to its hype, and despite an off-putting performance by one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, Anderson Silva made it into the UFC record books and told the fans how he really felt after the fight.
Leading up to the main attractions, it was a feel good night for Canadian fans, as five out of seven Canadian fighters managed to walk away with wins that night. The London, Ontario native Sam Stout earned the fight of the night bonus, while Krzysztof Soszynski was in line for submission of the night. Canada was well represented on that night, but the excitement erupted when Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Chuck Liddell made their way to the cage.
Its commonplace to have viewers flock to their televisions prepared to see a stand up war whenever Chuck Liddell is involved. Add Shogun who in his Pride days was on par with the former UFC kingpin, and we are set for a slugfest. It was believed to be a dream match that was two years too late, nonetheless it contained an extra element, a certain aura that still made it attractive. Would the change in training camps resurrect the "Shogun" Rua of old? Or would we be witnessing Liddell's last fight in the UFC, if he was to be upset in the contest? Needless to say, a lot was on the line for both combatants and an impressive win was absolutely necessary. Regardless of Liddell heading for a downward spiral after a jarring knockout loss to Rashad Evans, many ruled out the possibility of retirement and expected Liddell to pull through with a signature over hand right knockout. This expectation was not a stretch of the imagination given Rua's two surgeries, a loss to Forest Griffin and his tiresome performance against Mark Coleman. The one factor that would determine the outcome revolved around Rua's conditioning. From the get-go, Rua demonstrated head movement, quickness and was lighter on his feet. Many predicted a first round knockout and they were right, but it was "Shogun" who jolted the "Iceman."
It was evident that the move from Curitiba to Sao Paulo made the difference, as Rua looked impeccable in one of the greatest victories of his career. Following this confidence boosting win, an obvious situation would see Rua avenging his loss against Forrest Griffin, however we could see another scenario. This monumental victory could propel Rua into title contention, solely on the fact that Liddell's name carries so much legitimacy. Although it is unknown, Rua could be the reason Liddell retires from MMA and that in itself, makes this fight a landmark in MMA history.
With a strong co-main event in the books, the clash for the middleweight title should have been the perfect ending to another successful UFC venture into Canada. With all the publicity and press talk, it promised to be an interesting bout. "Braveheart" Thales Leites was eager to prove to the world that he did in fact deserve this title shot. Leites was 5 and 1 in the octagon and prior to joining the UFC, he had dismantled the notable Jose "Pele" Landi. Meanwhile Anderson Silva was coming off a lackluster victory over Patrick Cote, in which Silva received much criticism due to showboating and his failure to end the fight. Certainly Silva would want to set his critics straight and make an example of Leites; however this was not the case. It was apparent that both Silva and Leites had a great deal of respect for each other, but this resulted in a long feeling out process, which in turn garnered frustration between the fighters and the fans in attendance. Leites' game plan was to take Silva to the ground, but The Spider's reach advantage made it difficult, thus Leites was forced to clam up in the stand up position. It seemed as though both fighters had a difficult time bringing the fight into their own element. For Leites it could have been an overwhelming experience, as this was his first major title shot. Conversely, Silva seemed content in following the same pattern he utilized in the Cote bout. It may not have been Silva's intention, but he appeared to be taunting Leites by keeping his hands down and refusing to exchange. We even saw Silva kick forward with his right foot, then attempt to strike Leites with his back foot (the left one); this is recognized as a fancy pass in soccer! While Leites did not look impressive, this was now the second time Silva puts forth a mediocre performance; something we should not expect from a top pound for pound fighter. Silva was oozing confidence from the time of the weigh-in until the final bell, so the lingering question will be, "Why didn't you engage and finish the fight?"
Chants of "GSP" and boos filled the arena and it was obvious that "The Spider" was displeased in the post fight interview. In that interview, he states that he greatly respects Thales Leites. Silva goes on to say that he believes it was a good fight and that he can not always make the fans happy. His tone shifts as he says, "not everyone (referencing the crowd) understands what they are watching." He continues by telling the people in attendance that they can boo if they want, they can do whatever they want, since it is they (the fans) who pay his salary. Silva concludes his answer to the first question by telling the fans, that there are several great fighters in the UFC, he follows up by saying that the fans should respect the fighters and not boo them.
If you recall the translation Ed Soares gives, he says that Anderson Silva apologizes for his performance, this is not true, Silva did not apologize. In fact Silva goes back for a second question and declares that he did his job in the octagon. Silva shows some good sportsmanship by saying that he respects Andre Pederneiras and the Nova Uniao School (he trained with them in the past). Silva reasserts that he did what was expected of him, then says to the crowd, "I'm not here to show I'm better or worse than anyone, I did my job, unfortunately we can't always do what you want, that's all there is to it." It is plausible that Silva will be scrutinized for what happened in Montreal. The frustration in Silva's voice was evident during the comments he directed towards the crowd, as a result, "The Spider" could find himself tangled in his own webs.
Aside from the physical fight, the Silva Leites bout was an eventful affair, but not for the same reasons as the Rua Liddell fight. Silva did make his way into the record books with a fifth title defense and his ninth consecutive win, certainly something he and his team can be ecstatic about. In retrospect, his comments after the fight were probably the most eventful part of his performance on that night, as he gave the crowd a piece of his mind.
Looking to the future, it is probable that Thales Leites will find himself matched up with the likes of Patrick Cote, Yushin Okami or in a rematch with Nate Marquardt. Leites did go the five rounds with Silva and most likely learned a lot about his game in that fight. More experience with other top contenders would benefit the 27 year old jiu-jitsu ace.
At 34 years of age, Anderson Silva has assembled a career that other fighters can only dream of. While rumors of Wanderlei Silva challenging "The Spider" are lurking, and middleweight contenders like Demian Maia and Nate Marquardt wait in the wings for a title shot, we could see Silva's weight fluctuate for a few big money fights. In regards to a pound for pound challenge with GSP, if Silva wishes to maintain his moniker, he will have to go back to the strategy that was in place from June 28th 2006 - July 19th 2008.
