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Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz is actually happening. How exciting is that fight to you and why, and how do you expect it to play out on January 31?
RICH HANSEN, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
I have a hard time getting excited about anything in MMA that is more than a week away. After all, the UFC has successfully conditioned me to believe that the next card, no matter who's on it, is the biggest card ever. And with all of the fights I've lusted for that have been lost to injury, I'm very laissez-faire about this fight, and will continue to be until all of the following conditions have been met:
1.) Nick Diaz stays out of Cesar Gracie's bathroom. Every time he says he's going to take a whiz at Cesar's house, a fight gets canceled.
2.) Anderson Silva's leg stays attached to his body every day between now and January 25. I know he is not a mere mortal like you and me (like you), but I'd rather see him prove himself healthy a year out from his injury as opposed to a mere seven months out from it.
3.) January 25 rolls around. After all, I'm only allowed to be excited about the very next card on the calendar.
Once those conditions are met, I'll get excited. Until then, GET READY TULSA FOR THE BIGGEST FIGHT CARD IN UFC HISTORY! THAT'S RIGHT, RAFAEL DOS ANJOS IS HERE!
TOM STRONG, MMATORCH UK CONTRIBUTOR
Let's get this off my chest Diaz vs. Silva is not, and will never ever be a 'Super Fight.' How can this possibly be a super fight? Anderson Silva is without doubt the greatest ever fighter to grace the Octagon; Diaz is far from the best in his division he's struggle to beat anyone in the top five in the welterweight division right now!
I'm struggling to work out why the fight is even happening. Maybe Anderson was the only fighter that would entice Diaz back into the Octagon. Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased Diaz will be making his return, but this isn't the fight or the right weight division he should be coming back to. Diaz is a welterweight, fighting the GOAT at middleweight. This spells disaster!
I don't see anyway or anyhow Diaz can win this fight. Anderson Silva may not be the fighter he once was, but what he has left is more than enough to see of Diaz inside the distance. Diaz's downfall in this fight will be wanting to stand in front of Anderson and look to finish him. If this does happen, I don't see the fight going past two rounds.
FRANK HYDEN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
This is a very exciting fight. It's a horrible matchup for Nick, but it'll be one of the most exciting fights of the year. Silva likely won't be what he once was, but he's still one of the better fighters out there. Diaz will stand there and throw a tremendous volume of punches, which plays right into what Silva wants to do with his counter-punching. So it's easy to imagine that these guys put on a tremendous show that ends with Diaz on the mat with the ref jumping in to stop the fight. Of course, Diaz has a very real chance of winning as well, but I think this plays out like most expect, Silva counter-punching Diaz and getting the win. Diaz is iron-jawed, so I think this is a real war. If Silva stops Diaz, that's going to add another sentence to his already impressive legacy.
BRAD WALKER, MMATORCH COLUMNIST
Well I never thought I'd see the day a call out Nick Diaz made at random while bitching about money would actually come to fruition. He hasn't fought at 185 lbs. in a long while, and probably shouldn't be now, especially against the greatest fighter to ever compete in our beloved sport. Sure, Diaz is an elite fighter, but Anderson Silva with a repaired leg is still Anderson freaking Silva. It's almost the superfight we were hoping for, but not quite. This does spark my interest as to other returns possibly following, such as GSP, but only time will tell. Every Silva fight excites me, I think he will show that his greatness is still there, and mow down Nick Diaz like Nick Diaz mows down a pound of weed. There is also the element of whether or not Diaz can solidify a legacy in the UFC, so this fight carries a whole ton of weight.
KALE HAVERVOLD, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
Extremely excited, should be a very good fight for the fans. It's exciting because it's two of the sport's most polarizing stars who both have a similar style in terms of their taunting, it will be interesting to see who who'll change their approach, if either. I believe, in the end, Anderson Silva will be victorious.
CASH NORMAN, MMATORCH CONTRIBUTOR
I was so excited for this fight, I tweeted Dana White and told him I loved him. Neither Nick Diaz nor Anderson Silva are going to be in the title picture again. Therefore, these are the types of fights that should be made. The UFC made a fight that is 100% for fan enjoyment.
I can already picture the fight, Nick Diaz rushing to the center of the cage with his hands out, talking trash, and calling Anderson Silva a bitch. Silva circling around back and forth before dropping his hands and waving Diaz to come on. The amount of posturing back and forth in this fight will be epic. I actually do not care about the results of the fight; I just want Diaz to be Diaz and Anderson to be who he is, and in the process I'll be losing my damn mind.
[Nick Diaz art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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