The 'WTF Anderson!?' Thought Experiment
('Sup, Anderson? Seriously. Photo courtesy of Cage Today.)
Mere moments after his bout at UFC 90 had ended, Anderson Silva started getting something he rarely has before: hate mail. I was sitting next to the administrator of Silva's official website at the time, and his blackberry was suddenly abuzz with critical emails like these:
"You should be apologizing to everyone for the way you fought. While cote was trying to push the fight, all you were doing was trying to show off and not even putting in a effort to knock him out right away. Hollywood has changed you hasnt it."
"That was ridiculous , was a fan . Now I never want to see you fight again."
"Please relay to "the spider", he is an arrogant prick. myself, along with many of my friends, were once great fans of him. after tonights disgusting display, i personally despise him. He was a fucking asshole. the disrespect he displayed to the fans and to cote throughout the fight was something I will never forget."
The fight had barely ended and already fans were jumping off the Anderson Silva bandwagon by the dozens. The media wasn't far behind, with Yahoo's Kevin Iole proclaiming that Silva had "made a mockery of himself" in the fight.
What happened in the fight seems less important now than why it happened. What was Silva trying to accomplish, and what does it say about him? Everyone has their theories, but few are without glaring holes. As long as we're all speculating as to the man's motivations, we might as well sort through some of the prevailing ideas:
1. Silva was "protesting" the choice of Cote as an opponent
In order to believe this, you first have to believe that Silva didn't want to fight Cote, which not only goes against earlier statements he made, but also against his well-known desire to fight as often as possible. Never has he suggested that he's anything but satisfied with the way the UFC has handled him, so why would he suddenly decide to try and screw his employer? Unless he developed an entirely new personality overnight, it just doesn't make much sense.
2. Silva was toying with Cote in order to demonstrate his own dominance
It's one thing to want to show how good you are, but another to be mean-spirited about it. Silva has developed a reputation for destroying people quickly, but he's never been known as much of a showboat. Could it be that Silva somehow decided that "clowning around" was the last frontier for him? I suppose it's possible, but where's the evidence? The wacky hand feints are something he's used before to some effect, and bowing to an opponent or offering him a hand up is only disrespectful if you assume it was sarcastic. He's never seemed like the type to get a kick out of embarrassing people, so I have a hard time buying this one.
3. Silva was carrying Cote in an attempt to give the fans a show
Silva's last trip into the Octagon was so brief it's just possible that he felt a misguided need to give the fans their money's worth by making the fight longer rather than better. That's a bad idea, no question. Even when they complain about paying $45 for a main event that's over before they can finish their nachos, fans still love a decisive finish more than a protracted bout with limited action. It's possible Silva didn't realize that. If that's the case, something tells me he realizes it now.
4. Silva was too cautious out of respect for Cote's power
The one thing everyone agreed upon before this fight was that Cote had a puncher's chance, but that was all. That would seem to make a defensive strategy -- one that exploits openings without getting too careless or overeager -- sound like a good idea. Say what you will, but Silva fought a defensively brilliant fight, taking almost no damage while still winning rounds. Maybe it's the result of spending too much time around Lyoto Machida. Whatever you think of it, you can't deny that Silva was controlling that fight. Cote's injury robbed us of the chance to see whether Silva had a finish in him, but that doesn't mean we weren't a few minutes away from a knockout.
5. Silva had a bad night
If you have enough fights, eventually you're bound to have a bad one. It could be that Silva just wasn't on his game, for whatever reason. At this point the expectations are so high that anything less than a first-round knockout seems like a disappointment, which is how a bad night turns into hysteria from the fans and media. Maybe we should just cut him some slack.
Maybe it's too much to ask for a guy to live up to the 'world's greatest fighter' mantle, especially when he takes every opportunity to deny it. Maybe we're jumping to conclusions to suggest that by simply dominating the fight without ending it in the first three minutes, Anderson Silva must have been jerking us all around. Maybe the guy is mortal after all, and maybe it's our own fault for ever thinking anything different.
(-Ben Fowlkes)
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Comments
T Rex Says:
I believe that he respected Cote a great deal for accepting the fight. And wanted to give the fans a show. Regardless of whether Silva was toying with Cote or not, Cote and Silva went into the third round. Something hasn't been done in the UFC so far with Silva.
TUF Guy Says:
Silva knew that everyone expected a 1st, 2nd round KO. He knew Cote was expecting it, too. I think it just changed up his game plan.
TUF Guy Says:
Silva knew that everyone expected a 1st, 2nd round KO. He knew Cote was expecting it, too. I think he just changed up his game plan.
Greg Says:
Not sure, but to me it looked he was out there looking for a highlight reel knockout instead of just doing his normal thing and letting it come naturally. It might explain his performance a bit more without all of the speculation regarding his personality, work ethic, and abilities.
Aaron Says:
WWFD? What Would Fedor Do? He certainly wouldn't ever dance around or clown, or try to be elusive. I still think Anderson as the pound for pound title, but he needs to be a little less elusive (like Machida) and be a little more agressive (like Fedor). Hopefully his appology was sincere and we get to witness a real ass whooping next go around.
smmy Says:
If Silva pays attention to the critisism, I feel bad for his next opponent. He's gonna make an example out of him...and it's not gonna be pretty.
alan Says:
NR 3
realfightfan Says:
Have you people never seen a Silva from anywhere but in the UFC? When you become an MMA fan and have a greater base of knowledge about the sport, you may realize that Silva has showboated in many of his fights throughout his career... quit acting like it is something new. It is not mean-spirited nor disrespectful... fighting is like playing to him. Also... he hit Cote with a couple of major shots in the first round that would have ended a lot of other fighters. Cote was smart and did not become too aggressive with Silva... which is what seems to get a lot of fighters demolished quickly. One way or the other, Silva was dominating a very durable and smart fighter who came in with the best possible game plan. I found it impressive. If you don't like it... Go jackoff while watching Brock Lesnar fight a 44 year old man...homos!
Old, Bald and Irish Says:
I dunno...I think something is up with his relationship with the UFC. I keep getting the feeling he was trying to send Dana a message:
(in Portuguese) "Mo' money!"
Seriously, Silva needs to get in front of the press (preferebly CagePotato) and make some kind of statement as to what he was trying to do. And he should do it NOW.
I'm not jumping off his bandwagon and I'm waiting to hear his explanation, but it seemed to me that his actions were falling on the side of deliberate and not excused by just a "bad night".
I know when he says anything, I'll see it here.
kir Says:
look, silva's smart enough to not go running into anything, and was waiting for cote to make a mistake. cote was barely active. cote hurt himself like a retard and everyone is mad at silva? if anything it's cote's fault that he didn't lose quick enough lol
Anonymous Says:
I beleive he has spent much time training with Lyoto Machida, he had a special surprise for Cote, he would not touch him.
I also beleive Silva was overconfident and he is feeling the spotlight now more than ever.
He will be back, he must be hung ovewr from his performance last night.
Old, Bald and Irish Says:
Hmmmm...
What WOULD Fedor do?
I know! He'd destroy someone!
Gina C's PIMP Says:
Could it be that Anderson was distracted by Edith Labell? just look at her face in the weight-in picture. She is staring at him with rapist eyes. I think she wore him out a little too much the night before the fight. Pretty girls make it hard to concentrate.
Silva: "Hello Edith, You like-a taste my big pee-pee?"
Brandon Says:
#2
lickmyfart Says:
No, here is what Fedor will do: not fight ever again. His power is only exceeded by his mystery now. Thats why he sucks. Here is what Anderson Silva, the real top pound for pound fighter in the world, is going to do: destroy whoever he is going to fight next. He was just trying to make a good show, but it didnt turn out too well.
shitwhistle Says:
I still love Silva as a fighter, although, like everyone else, I'm confused by his performance.
Just know this - the MMA fanbase is a largely unforgiving bunch. One bad fight or one loss and LOTS of people will throw you under the bus.
Look at Liddell - face of the sport, likeable guy, did tons for the advancement of MMA - most people loved him. As soon as he loses a couple fights and doesn't dominate, people start hating on him.
Some of those emails are ridiculous -"arrogant prick" "despise" "fucking asshole" - jesus, relax people. After all, it's entertainment for fuck's sake.
Anonymous Says:
Wow! everyone needs to relax anderson might of been fucking around a little who gives a fuck! he was fighting patrick fucking cote he's not gonna take a chance and get knocked out by him which would be embarassing its not his fault cote blew out his knee people just wanna vent so they're venting towards silva, did anyone see that fucking flying knee!?! guaranteed that wouldv'e ended a lot of guys. he was having a lil fun in a fight where he could who cares.
rumbler Says:
"Maybe the guy is mortal after all, and maybe it’s our own fault for ever thinking anything different."
*Barf*
Pride Fighter #1 Says:
i agree with real fight fan... if you look back to the days of PRIDE. Slva has always been a bit of a showboater. H enjoys fighting just that much and is certianly talented enough to do so.... the human race has become so over-zealous that they complain about everything!!!!!!
alan Says:
he really should do an interview about this....man ppl are retarded thinking he even showed some kind of weakness in this fight!! its cote's crap knee's fault i bet anderson would knock his fucking ass out in the late rounds.....we dont know what he had planed so for now stfu :)
Orsusband Says:
I read the live blogs then actually saw the fight and felt in my personal opinion that the blog wasn't so accurate.
I am with Joe Rogan when he stated that Silva is exciting to watch no matter who he fights. Anderson was somewhat careful, but it's not like Cote was extremely aggressive either. I am still a fan of Silva and look forward to watching him again and again. That man is dangerous and he showed some impressive muay thai skills. Those leg kicks had some serious bad intentions and he followed through the kick quite well. He used some sick combination. His leg kicks were extremely fast. It is sad to see him win that way, but really, what does he really have to prove?
Markus Says:
Why're everyone trying to find one, simple explanation? If anything, I think it'd be a whole lot of things that made the fight play out the way it did. First off, Silva's been saying that he wants to fight every friggin' month. That alone is reason enough not to run in to Cote's fist and trying to knock him out through his heavy fists. Then there's all this attention, the pressure of his undefeated streak and not only that, but he's got a personal life as well, on top of all the other stuff that comes with being a champion.
Besides, he's already talking about retirement. Maybe he's just sick of it all and feels that it's just not that fun anymore. That'd give some kind of explanation to his ring antics, as well.
Hebrew Hammerfist Says:
You know, I am just sick of seeing all this negative talk about Silva. Cote did NOTHING to challenge Anderson from the second the fight started. All he did was bounce around and throw nothing but weak leg kicks. Everytime he moved in to attack...BAM...Anderson rocked him.
If you watch closely, Anderson actually saw EVERY single move Cote made before he even made it. After Cote hurt his leg in the second round, he did nothing but wait back instead of trying to attack. When Silva made the joke about helping him up, it was done after Cote sat on the ground not trying to even get up. That, to me, is disrespect to Silva. Get your ass up and continue the fight. Don't stare at him and wait out the round on your back.
Anderson was completely bored because his competitor isn't even in the same league as him. Plain and simple.
Aaron Says:
One more thing... I can guarantee you there will not be a rematch. Ok, maybe my guarantee is worthless, but why would you make a sequel to this fight. Everybody knows Silva wins 99 times out of 100. Cote is a tough fighter with good power, but let's be honest. How would you even promote the rematch? Remember this stupid fight? The total disaster? Well it's on again! Not going to happen.
JustinD Says:
This is a great way to get Anderson Silva to not renew his contract when he thinks its retire time =(
GREGB Says:
i KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE A SLOWER FIGHT, WHY RUSH OUT AND GET YOUR HEAD KNOCKED OFF FOR COTE, AND ANDERSON HIS FIGHTS ARE SO SHORT, HE WANTED A LONGER FIGHT FOR THE FANS. HE WAS READY TO TURN IT UP. SO I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM ?????
THAT FIGHT WOULD NOT HAVE GONE 5 ROUNDS!
bmwtech Says:
Anderson does have a playful side, has anyone ever seen his "ride the pony" victory dance? It's part of his demeanor. I think he was playing it careful with Cote, he has alot of power and as Werdum can attest, one good punch and your done. So lay off haters. Anderson didnt put on a stellar performance, but replace Anderson with Leben or any other middleweight, then what would we be saying?
Shagen Says:
Give the guy a break! Heaven forbid the guy has a normal fight. I could rant about all the possablilities, but I know i hate reading the long comments so i'll spare everyone else.
LuketheDuke Says:
Y'all gotta realize that shit happens. and last saturday, shit happened. So what? youre gonna follow the heard and find the next best thing? nah. I think anderson was just trying new tactics and bridging the gap between head game and fight game. no skin off my back, or his, but bummer for cote that acl is a DRAG
Dr. Says:
I like Cote and am a fan of Silva. I wasn't pissed off by his behavior. I hate how Machida fights and this wasn't the same.
The guy absolutely LOVES to fight and has a fun time doing it. I will admit that in the press conferences leading up to the fight Silva seemed a little more jovial than usual. I guess he took more of that into the cage and maybe that overshadowed his killer instinct. Whatever. What's wrong with seeing a guy enjoy doing what he does? I think he wanted the fight to be exciting and entertaining, maybe the approach was wrong but it is what it is.
Fuck the bandwagon jumpers, they're just lemmings anyway.
Davy Says:
I enjoyed the fight. I don't watch it to see a bloody brawl. i love watching good technical
fights. I don't really hope for knockouts. I mean, they're always fun to watch, but if it doesn't happen i don't bitch.
MMA, Muay Thai, etc... it's a physical chess match. That's all it is.
Anderson is still the greatest.
AllDressedupAndNoOneToFight Says:
I don't think there was anything wrong with the way Silva fought on Saturday night. If you think the only good MMA fight is one that ends with a quick bloody knockout, you're an idiot. He won both rounds and was on his way to winning the fight.... some might argue that he hasn't shown his stamina, by never going passed the 2nd round...... well here you go. Maybe you should be mad at the guy he fell lame on the mat and couldn't finish the fight. If you've ever been to a fight, you know that the audience is full of a bunch of meatheads in Affliction shirts, who walk around the arena, like they're the next big thing.... and it's those same idiots who boo when someone starts to grapple or when the fight is not a boxing match. Next time keep the $60 you spent on that t-shirt, buy another bottle of Xience, and go to the gym instead.....
Anonymous Says:
i think it is a little of #4 and 5, I think he planned on fighting defensively and getting a feel for cote, but was having a bad night and it took him a while to get it down. Cote's injury stopped us from seeing Silva destroy him after he got the feeling out for him and decided when to knock him out. I dont think people should be bitching, it is a smart strategy that would work perfectly, both getting a feel for him while also out pointing him, so no matter how long the fight goes he still wins.
natureboy Says:
Silva's always been heelish. The dancing after fighting?! And after the fight he told the fans not to boo Cote like he had nothing to do with the ordeal. LOL. And if I recall correctly, after he choked out Hendo he pretty much said in his post fight interview that Rich Franklin was his greatest opponent ever with Hendo still in the cage to get a cheap pop from the Franklin-friendly Ohio crowd. LOL. Of course, you never know with those dodgy translations. Anyway, I think Anderson is even cooler now. I'm glad there's so much more room on this bandwagon. I can stretch out and watch the YouTube video where he gets flying heel hooked by Ryo Chonan. LOL ;)
Markdog Says:
If ya'll are sitting next to Silva's website administrator, would setting up an interview with the Spider have been too much to ask for?
mmmiles Says:
If Cote hadn't been injured, and had instead gotten KTFO'ed in the 4th, noone would be talking like this.
Why do I think the people making comments against Silva are primarily ex WWE fans?
bbo Says:
Realfightfan said it best.
Sonus Says:
Appreciate the analysis, Ben. Watching the fight, I never once thought Silva was toying with Cote. His technique was still on display, and the clean shots that landed on Cote were not 'love taps", but shots that would have put others down. With the amount of people who saw the fight as Anderson being arrogant, and perhaps even uninterested, maybe I did miss something. Still, shame on those folks who were quick to jump off the bandwagon, as Silva has more than earned the benefit of the doubt when it comes to his character/fighting spirit.
Also, maybe the word "mockery" is a bit too harsh from Kevin Iole. Yes, I have a man crush on Silva, but I think he deserves a little more respect to his character than is being shown. He could have made a mistake, but I'm not ready to throw him under the bus yet.
johnnynormal Says:
The people "jumping off the Silva-bandwagon" are the same people who found MMA through TUF or "Professional Wrestling"... fuck them. I've never considered Silva a "class-act" (have you ever seen his victory dance?) he's always been smug and arrogant behind a veil of false courtesy. I feel that Silva just didn't want to underestimate Cote('s chin and strikes) and was trying to provoke him into a mistake while also trying (and failing) to give the fans more of a show. Silva's bicycle knee and kicks were awesome, though maybe he has spent too much time with Machida (:P).
Harrymanback Says:
I think Anderson was being cautious because of a few things:
Patrick's trainer Mark Dellagrote has cornered against Silva for something like three or four fights now. All along Cote talked about how they had the ultimate game plan and had Silva figured out (which is somewhat possible- he's had the chance to study and try out different game plans- eventually he'd probably hit the button). This doesn't mean that it would've been pretty and Patrick was prepared to get fucked right up in the process but he does have the capability to end the fight with one punch and Silva probably knew that. So, in an effort to look completely different from his usual self and not fall right into Cote's plans he took a page out of Machida's book. He danced around and played the Bruce Lee thing all the time out of danger range and bounced in to hammer Cote every so often. As other people have mentioned he probably had the misguided thought that acting like an idiot would be a suitable substitute for just plain running. Then he would've just looked like a coward. Misguided? Yes
As for Patrick Cote. Well- give the guy some credit. I'm sure part of his gameplan involved not rushing forward right into one of the best counterpunchers in the world. That seems smart. It's not sexy but smart. Likely the plan was that Silva would be the aggressor but that didn't work out. So, neither of them was willing to fully commit. As for the knee injury- well- shit happens. Cote didn't do anything on purpose to have this happen. He wanted to continue and the ref told him it was over. You can't do anything about that. He's not a pussy and should deserve more credit for hanging in for the punishment he did take- which was pretty harsh when Silva decided to move in. He did a lot better than James Irvin that's for sure!
It's just entertainment folks.
snicket916 Says:
people just love to hate. all of the hate mail he started receiving are from ignorant pricks. so what if he was lollygaggin throughout round 1 and 2. people are so quick to clown fighters, when they have never even been hit before in their life. how do we know anderson wasnt trying to preserve himself for a big fuckin fight on the new years card? im sure all of the haters would love to see him fight on new years. hate on goldberg if you are going to hate on someone.
FIRE GOLDBERG
snicket916 Says:
FIRE GOLDBERG
we need to stop hating on the fighters and start hating on that bleached tip faggot commentating. is there any way to contact the ufc to start sending them hate mail on goldberg?
Anonymous Says:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/josh_gross/10/27/post-ufc-...
in his own words "it was his strategy" like I have been saying from the beginning, he couldn't get Cote to run into his trap so he tried to get inside his head and make him leave himself vulnerable. Cote went in with a good game plan, imo.
Dota Says:
@Harrymanback You got it right man. Tool is the greatest!
RHV Says:
You all should know that this isn't the first time Silva has showboated. It is his first time, however, he showboated in the UFC. This is nothing new.
Those emails quoted in this thread like "... now I never want to see you again...", these comments are ridiculous. This is why people think us MMA bloggers are idiots. A fighter doesn't perform the way you think he should and all of a sudden he's on your persons-to-murder list. Get over it.
Me Says:
Ever think for a minute that maybe his sponsors were mad about not being on screen enough? Let's say he gets 100k + expenses per fight from sponsors (not including his own brand, obviously). You think they want to be on screen for 1 minute? Hell no.
Of course this is all dependant on whether or not he is actually sponsored. I don't see why he wouldn't be, but I don't stare at his ass alot during his fights, only long enough to catch the wasp (spider bee?).
This somewhat falls in line with #3.
Aryan Says:
I think he was paid to not knock him out. I lost money on the first and the second round. Prick
mma-pr0 Says:
all you pussies need to stop crying about this fight, so he has dancing around, he landed most of what he threw, landed some significant shots, and if cote wouldnt have blown his knee out, he probably would have knocked him out, all you want to be mma fans, pissed cause he didnt score a knock out in the opening minute, so what if he show boated a little, and was doing some bruce lee shit, cry about it pussies, its not like the fight went to five round decision, the dude got injured who knows what couldhave happened with 15 minutes left to fight.
massacre Says:
I can understand the bad night, and the urge to put on a show for the fans, yet lengthing a fight doesnt make it a good fight. 5 rounds of a shitty fight is still a shitty fight. And as far as respecting Cote's power......hes faced Leben, and Henderson both of whom are extremely powerful punchers, and Franklin who has the best stand up of all of them. Yet, he counters and attacks them thus knocking them the hell out which led to 2 ko's and a sub. So neither Cote's power or his 'game plan' that some might think threw Silva off, I would imagine are irrevelant and played no part of this freak occurence.
Mike Says:
Silva hits people and they drop fast. Cote did NOT drop fast. therefore, if you were silva, wouldn't you try and prevent Cote from having a chance of hitting you back?