The Specialists
CARTER: The G.O.A.T. and the Champ - Anderson Silva's Loss May Not Be Chris Weidman's Gain
Jan 2, 2014 - 5:00:51 PM CARTER: The G.O.A.T. and the Champ - Anderson Silva's Loss May Not Be Chris Weidman's Gain

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By: Alvin Carter, MMATorch Specialist

Anderson Silva is the only person that can beat Anderson Silva. This became clear after UFC 168's main event, as Silva broke his leg in an ill fated attempt to recapture the Middleweight Title. After what was considered a 10-9 round for Weidman, Silva threw an inside leg kick that was checked by Weidman's knee. His tibia and fibia snapped, and his lower leg literally wrapped around the around Weidman's leg. The site of that break was only played twice on the live pay-per-view broadcast.

Chris Weidman has done the "impossible" twice. He has beaten Anderson Silva on two separate occasions. Though he knocked Silva out in their first encounter, many put an asterisk by the win because Silva made a rookie footwork mistake when playing around. The win was real because making a mistake is just as bad as not being prepared or as talented if it results in a loss. Still, the world knew that the outcome of the first fight could have easily been different if he took it seriously.

This time Weidman won based on an injury TKO stoppage that was not related to any of the great strikes he landed in the fight. He checked a kick and Silva's leg snapped. Weidman said he trained to check kicks, but I am sure he did not train to check them with his knee because that is dangerous. Usually, the shin is used when checking a kick. This is not to take away from Weidman winning, but he is going to have to really look good in his next bout with Vitor Belfort - and the next challenger if he gets that far - before the Silva asterisks are gone, or at least not brought up in conversation as often.

The first thought I had when watching Silva fall and scream in what looked to be the worst pain of his life was: "Is that it for the best fighter in the history of the sport?" I also felt for Weidman because that's not how you want to win in a rematch of that magnitude. I saw the look of concern on Dana White's face when Silva was on the floor screaming. I feared the worst, and checked Twitter and the Torch app all the way home. As expected, he was rushed into surgery and his healing timetable is about three to six months. That made me think of an interview with Renzo Gracie where he said he rather have a limb broken instead of tap because nothing really takes more than six months to heal. That seems to work out better for younger fighters. Silva is approaching 40 and has been through a lot of physical stress over the years. He might heal, but he might not be able to get back in the cage.

Now it has been reported that Silva had been asking about when he can train again, and his doctor thinks he will be able to train in six to nine months. Still, this very well could have been the end for Anderson Silva. No one wants to see a legend's career end this way, but it is more than understandable as there is nothing left for him to prove. The healing process will dictate if Silva's return is a reality, but seeing Silva fight again no matter the outcome would be a treat. It also has the potential of being the biggest draw in UFC history depending on the opponent; even more so if it is billed as his last fight.

Silva has dominated for so long that the choice should ultimately be his. He should be able to go out on his own terms provided he is physically and mentally prepared to fight. Silva's situation is similar to Weidman's if he does make a comeback. Silva needs to win in a relatively impressive fashion for his pair of losses to appear as unfortunate mishaps. My hope would be he does what he appeared to have started doing in this last fight, which is keep his hands up and fight. Silva could dominate anyone if he fought like his life depends on it. That might have ultimately been his problem in the first fight with Weidman. His motivation was lower after being at the top for so long. That seemed to be the case in his last few bouts prior to that one.

Anderson Silva's next opponent, if he does return to action, might be up against the most focused and urgent Anderson Silva we have ever seen. His return sounds likely seeing how the broken leg was not as bad as it could have been, and the layoff would be less than many others who are expected to come back and put on a good show (eg. Dominick Cruz, Antonio Rodgrigo Nogueira). Weidman will also be in excellent form against Belfort because he is in the rare position of being an undefeated champion and who still needs to erase doubt from the minds of critics.

Anderson Silva is the Michael Jordan of MMA. He can comeback wearing a metaphorical "45" on his back and put on some exciting fights. He is no longer the Middleweight Champ, but maybe he can make a move to 205 so he has a new pack of talent to fight. He will also be faster than most of them on the feet. If a return fight doesn't come against Weidman, Anderson Silva vs. Rashad Evans would be a great farewell or welcome back on Superbowl weekend 2015.