UFC
Dana White plans to "Chuck Liddell" Wanderlei Silva into retirement after UFC 132 loss
Jul 3, 2011 - 4:30:50 PM Dana White plans to "Chuck Liddell" Wanderlei Silva into retirement after UFC 132 loss

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Wanderlei Silva's 27 second loss to Chris Leben at UFC 132 on Saturday night is likely the last fight that Silva will have in the Octagon.

At the post-fight press conference in Las Vegas, UFC President Dana White said that he plans on sitting down with "The Axe Murderer" soon to discuss his future - or lack thereof - in the UFC.

"People knew that [Silva] and Leben were going to come out and they were going to throw until somebody fell down, and it was Wanderlei tonight," White said after the event (transcribed by MMAJunkie.com). "I think it's one of those ones where I'd like to sit down and talk to him and kind of Chuck Liddell him into it."

Silva is just 2-4 in his latest UFC stint, with a 2-6 record in his last eight fights overall. Much like Liddell, who defeated Silva in a classic fight in 2007, Silva has suffered a series of brutal knockout losses over the last several years of his career. Because the loss to Leben was yet another vicious and scary moment for Silva, it's come to the point where his fans will not want to see him take that type of punishment anymore, and White is included in that.

"I think the guy has nothing left to prove," White said. "He's a warrior. People love him all over the world, and I just don't want to see that happen to him anymore."

Penick's Analysis: I'm at the same point in my thoughts on Silva. Just like with Liddell, Silva's fans just don't want to see him take even more damage like what he suffered on Saturday night. Concussions and head trauma are serious, and the repeated damage Silva has suffered over the years makes the prospect of him getting into the cage again scary. No one wants to see him laid out on the canvas again, and when he hasn't been able to string together wins over recent years it's probably time for him to step away.

[Wanderlei Silva art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]