Doc signs off on Anderson 'Spider' Silva's return to training

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Today makes 128 days since Anderson Silva broke his tib/fib across Chris Weidman's shin in UFC 168. And now his doctor has cleared him to resume training. But if you've been watching the MMA news on the Interwebs, you know this was just a window dressing, because he's been throwing kicks for a couple of weeks.

Dana White has predicted Silva will be back in the octagon before the end of the year. But Spider says differently.

Silva is known to be one of the most extreme weight-cutters in the UFC (if not the most exteme, 40 lbs+), but in the past he's been able to deal with it because his champion's status and draw numbers gave him enough leverage to only accept fights with adequate lead time. So he can pare down at a rate that doesn't impact his fight performance. So it could be he's speaking from the standpoint of how long before his healing leg can support the level of cardio he'd have to do to to make 185 without being ragged out.

Regardless when it happens, it'll be interesting to see how Dana grooms the competition landscape for his return.

 

[JBNj]

Silva is known to be one of the most extreme weight-cutters in the UFC (if not the most exteme, 40 lbs+), but in the past he's been able to deal with it because his champion's status and draw numbers gave him enough leverage to only accept fights with adequate lead time. So he can pare down at a rate that doesn't impact his fight performance. So it could be he's speaking from the standpoint of how long before his healing leg can support the level of cardio he'd have to do to to make 185 without being ragged out.

Me thinks you don't know what weight cutting is as applied to your statement. When fighters "cut" weight, they are essentially shedding water weight. Big difference between losing weight and cutting weight. Now silva is not dropping 40lbs of water weight. There is also the fact that fighters aren't in fighting shape 365 days of the year. Silva walking around at 225 as you allude to is out of shape and more fat mass.

Either way. He is getting old. Love his fighting style when he is not dancing around. Will be interested to see him back. But apart of me wishes the goat to come back and fight in the UFC.

Edit: the honors on who drops the most weight to fight in their weight class goes to gleison tibau.

 

[Deputy D.A.]

I don't know what Tibau consistently drops before his fights, but I do recall hearing on the UFC that Hendricks routinely cuts down about 45 pounds to make 170.

 

[JBNj]

Tibau walks around 205-210(this guy is pretty jacked at this weight.) Drops to 155 then a day later for fight night is around ~185lbs. Pretty drastic. Anderson silva was seen around 217lbs between fights in the off season when he puts on fat. During training he gets his weight within ~7lbs or so to shed water weight. Ben Henderson and gsp get roughly in the ~192lbs. Before losing and then shedding water weight. Chris leben cut 21lbs of water weight in a day to make weight and came out sluggish and lost. Can't speculate on hendericks.

 

[--BLACKOUT--]

I'm not too sure how good Anderson is going to be in his come back. His confidence more than likely will be way below his normal fight level and his opponents know what leg is rebuilt. It will be interesting to see who the UFC matches him up with in his return bout. Last I read on Silva was that he won't come back til early next year and maybe as far out as spring. December would be a ridiculously quick turn around for his type of injury. Best of luck to him.

 

[Rustybroadhead]

I am with Blackout. It is one thing to recover from the physical side of the injury. Given how bad he broke his leg this itself is huge. The psycological side of things will be 10 times harder for him. Up until very recently he thought he was invincible. Then he gets knocked the F*** out and made to look like a fool. Then pretty much immediately turns around and horribly breaks his leg..... He will make some kind of comeback but don't kid yourself, he is done and will never be half the fighter he once was.

 

[KYS]

Anthony Rumble Johnson was the most extreme weight swing in the UFC. He now fights light heavyweight at 205 but he would often cut from 225 down to below 147. He fought Welterweight and Middleweight until deciding to stick at 205 and be stronger and healthier. He recently destroyed Phil Davis at the most recent UFC PPV.

 

[Fly_True]

Anthony Rumble Johnson was the most extreme weight swing in the UFC. He now fights light heavyweight at 205 but he would often cut from 225 down to below 147. He fought Welterweight and Middleweight until deciding to stick at 205 and be stronger and healthier. He recently destroyed Phil Davis at the most recent UFC PPV.

Rumble's lowest fighting weight it the UFC was 170 (welterweight) and he missed weight 2 or 3 times before getting is walking papers a few years ago. I even believe he then missed weight at 185 (middleweight). Now he is fighting at light heavyweight (205) and is still a monster for the division.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[KYS]

Rumble's lowest fighting weight it the UFC was 170 (welterweight) and he missed weight 2 or 3 times before getting is walking papers a few years ago. I even believe he then missed weight at 185 (middleweight). Now he is fighting at light heavyweight (205) and is still a monster for the division.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

He fought several times at Welterweight, some at a catch weight of 177 lb, and even dropped down to below 155lb at one point but they said he was way to skinny and told him it was borderline dangerous.
He did miss weight a few times and was suspended. He did well in another MMA program but ultimately Dana brought him back because he saw the guy had the fire beneath him at a safer 205lb weight class. The guy is a monster.

Anthony Johnson ("Rumble") | MMA Fighter Page | Tapology

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Anderson Silva Cleared to Spar for First Time Since Breaking Leg at UFC 168

Anderson Silva apparently took a major step on his road to recovery Friday.

The former middleweight champion posted on Twitter that he was able to spar for the first time since gruesomely breaking his left leg in a loss to Chris Weidman at UFC 168 in December.

“Good news guys,” Silva wrote. “Today was my first MMA sparring after leg fracture. [Brazilian MMA Athletic Commission medical director] Dr. Marcio Tannure released [me].”...

...“The predictions that I will fight at UFC 181 or any other upcoming event are not true,” he told Combate in March. “This year is already over for me.”

Since then, rumors have swirled regarding a potential opponent for Silva’s comeback, with retired welterweight contender Nick Diaz being a popular mention. “UFC Tonight” recently reported that Diaz would be interested in such a matchup if the money was right.

 

[steve123]

I'm really surprised he lost both those fights and with such drama, LOL. Sheesh, what a way to end a stellar career, couldn't of happened much worse!

I enjoyed his fighting style more than any other. It seemed like he always had some crazy, knee, punch, kick or submission waiting to defeat his opponent.

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Spider says he's had all the Chris Weidman he cares for, but he'd take some Nick Diaz. But he reiterates that whoever it is, it won't be in 2014. Not a risk he's willing to take.

EDIT:
And on an unrelated note, Chael Sonnen has failed ANOTHER OC doping control (EPO, HGH and hCG).

 

[bmt]

Silva won't fight in 2014. In April of 2015 Silva turns 40. Time is the only opponent a man cannot beat.

BMT

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

MMA Fighting says Silva is lobbying for a comeback fight against Nick Diaz on Superbowl weekend.

 

[Darkside-Six]

hate to say it but I don't think Silva will ever quite be the same. that's a pretty serious injury and it will also have an effect on his confidence when he throws kicks.

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

It's on like Donkey Kong. 31 January in Lost Wages. Opening odds have Diaz about a 2:1 underdog!!

The Spider reminds me very much of (noted draft dodger) Mohammed Ali, in more ways than one. His myth beats most guys before they ever step into the ring.

 

[Midwestside]

The Spider reminds me very much of (noted draft dodger) Mohammed Ali, in more ways than one. .

Ive thought this too, but more so by the way he made Griffin look like a flailing novice giving everything he had just to connect.
I'm surprised there are two mentions to spider's 'confidence'. The guy has plenty of it and the record to back it. Age is not on his side, but I doubt the flukey break itself will affect his next fight much IMHO.

 

[Fred_C_Dobbs]

Ive thought this too, but more so by the way he made Griffin look like a flailing novice giving everything he had just to connect...

That's one of the aspects I was alluding to. Guard down and sticking his face out to coax his opponent into swinging wildly, then slipping the punch by half a blonde cunt hair. Goading them into srcapping their own fight plan and fighting his fight. Except Weidmann didn't fall for it. He stayed in his lane and stuck with the plan.

...I'm surprised there are two mentions to spider's 'confidence'. The guy has plenty of it and the record to back it. Age is not on his side, but I doubt the flukey break itself will affect his next fight much IMHO.

Diaz's head coach, Cesar Gracie, says Silva's chin has gone soft due to age. Considering that there's only one sock on the jaw to judge from, and that that one sock came from Chris Weidman, I'd say that's a pretty broad assumption.

But I agree about the confidence. Silva couldn't have got to where he is without the ability to convince himself he always was going to whup the other guy's ass. Being a pilot, I understand the importance of compartmentalization, that sometimes the most important thing is simply believing in your own invincibility. I don't think he'll believe he got his ass whipped twice by a superior fighter (even though Weidman well and truly was manhandling him both fights), I think he'll convince himself he was just a touch too bold in the first fight, and the second fight ended with a freak injury. Not his fault. Could happen to anybody. So he'll enter the cage still believing Diaz has no business in the same ring with him.

On the other hand, I've had a leg injury like that myself. You never forget the image when you first look down to see the sole of your own foot looking back. Viddy real horrorshow, oh my droogies. I'm sure he eased into it, and will have thrown 10,000 kicks with that leg before the fight, but somewhere in the back of his mind, that image, and the shock of realizing his leg has all but fallen off, will still be lurking.

 

[--BLACKOUT--]

The Nick Diaz fight is a great fight for Anderson to come back. Nick isn't devastating in any particular area of the fight game but he is a scrapper. Silva's confidence will be intact, for the most part, because he isn't fighting Weidman. It will be interesting to see how Diaz and the Spider fight plays out. Anderson with his Matrix fighting style and Nick with his taunting and calling his opponents "bitches.". Both have been out for a while so it could be a boring, hands down, insult filled letdown of a fight. Hope it's not.


Besides being brutally KO'ed and having his leg broken... He is nearing 40yrs old. Father Time catches up to everyone. His does that all work out for his confidence level? We shall see.