The itsy-bitsy Spider climbed up the water sprout. Down came the Weidman and washed the Spider out… but the itsy-bitsy Spider climbed up the sprout again.
Just about 13 months since suffering a horrible leg injury, Anderson “the Spider” Silva is back to once again dazzle with his lightning quick reflexes and unabated power. Standing in his way is the brash bad boy Nick Diaz whose relentless pace and iron chin offers quite a stylistic challenge to the returning Silva.
The fireworks from this fight will definitely leave you wanting for more action. Check out our complete preview for Super Bowl XLIX between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks to complete your sports weekend.
Anderson “The Spider” Silva finally returns to the Octagon after failing to defend and reclaim his UFC Middleweight Championship against current kingpin Chris Weidman.
[sc:UFC240banner ]While Silva may be coming off back-to-back losses, those may not have much bearing on his skills as a fighter. He was handily taking over the first fight against Weidman before too much showboating led to his demise—a stunning knockout loss. Then, Silva suffered a freak injury in the second fight after his shin clashed with Weidman’s knee in the second round of their rematch.
His bouts against Weidman notwithstanding, Silva has flashed a degree of striking prowess at levels far above his competition. He has the most knockdowns in UFC history (17) and the highest significant strike accuracy in UFC history (67.2 percent). He’s also one of if not the most elusive fighter in UFC history. He has defended 63 percent of strikes coming his way.
Taking less damage has led to a long and illustrious career for the Spider. While his defense has allowed him to stay in the game long, it also serves as his setups for fight-ending counters. He knocked out former light heavyweight champ Forrest Griffin with a jab after matrix-like movement eluded all but one of Griffin’s 35 strike attempts to the head.
The only knock on Silva would be his inability to defend the takedown. Yet, he has excellent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to more than cover for his weakness. In his UFC career, Silva has submitted the likes of Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen, all excellent wrestlers who’ve used a takedown-centric game plan against him.
Silva has finished all but two of his 16 UFC wins.
“Anyone who’s actually decided to stand toe-to-toe or made the decision to box with Nick (Diaz), has not won that fight,” said long-time lightweight contender and Diaz teammate, Gilbert Melendez.
Diaz has spent most of his career at 170 pounds, but has dreamed of a match against one of the greatest of all time in Silva. Still, he will not be giving up too much size as he is one of the bigger welterweights in the fight business. He stands just one inch shorter than Silva and their reach is virtually identical.
The Stockton, California native has made a career of utilizing quick, crisp boxing combinations to repeatedly batter his opponents’ body and head. He has landed the second most total strikes (1,536) in the combined history of the UFC, WEC, Strikeforce and Pride organizations. Fighting the greatest of all time? Diaz doesn’t care, he’s going to be in Silva’s face throwing his combinations until the very end.
Diaz is one of the best pressure fighters in the business, landing a whopping 5.63 significant strikes per minute while plodding forward and luring his opponents’ backs toward the cage. And he’s definitely going to talk trash while doing so. This kind of approach may play right into Silva’s counter style, which Diaz will be too happy to test.
Still, the flat-footed style may have Diaz on the disadvantage facing the most accurate striker in the fight business. He has absorbed 3.5 significant strikes per minute. Taking too many strikes should be a concern for Diaz as Silva packs too much power in his punches and kicks.
While a prolonged grappling battle isn’t likely, Diaz is also a capable black belt. He has averaged 1.44 takedowns and 1.1 submissions per 15 minutes of fight time. Diaz has eight submission wins over his 35-fight career.
Writer’s Prediction
Silva (-450) by third round technical knockout is the pick here.
If you’re looking for more bang for your buck, perhaps a parlay would appeal to you. Kelvin Gastelum and Thiago Alves are also looking hot in the undercard. Lay $5 on a three-fighter parlay on Silva, Gastelum and Alves to win $18.24.
