#3: Should Anderson Silva retire?
Okay, so Anderson Silva picked up his first official win since 2012 on Saturday when he was awarded a unanimous decision over Derek Brunson. He then went on to suggest he wants to fight a further four times for the UFC before he retires. Realistically though, is this a smart decision?
Saturday’s performance wasn’t exactly a vintage one for one of the greatest fighters of all time. The fight was close enough that you could maybe argue for Silva winning, although personally I had it 29-28 for Brunson giving him R1 and R3. And the Doug Crosby 30-27 Silva scorecard was inexcusable.
If he’d lost the decision, as most thought he did, that would’ve meant a run of 0-5 with one No Contest since the beginning of 2013. Anderson also turns 42 in April. To put things into perspective, Chuck Liddell retired at the age of 40, and he’d gone 1-5 in his last six.
Admittedly, Silva isn’t being knocked out regularly like Liddell was. But even so, it’s quite clear that the reflexes, athleticism and speed that served him so well and allowed him to dominate the 185lbs division for the best part of a decade are now gone.
His once-iron chin is diminished too if not fully cracked. Realistically prime Anderson Silva would’ve toyed with a guy like Derek Brunson on Saturday, but this Anderson Silva could barely do a thing with him.
We all know Silva made a lot of money during his run as champion – remember the ‘Anderson Silva money, playa’ meme? We all know he’s got nothing else to prove – even his positive PED test seems to have been swept under the carpet, excused as just Anderson trying to heal up from his broken leg a little faster.
So why continue on? Granted, the men he’s losing to aren’t scrubs; Michael Bisping is the current champion, and well, I guess the record books show he beat Brunson, a top ten ranked fighter, but even so.
Dana White ought to encourage Anderson to do one more fight, probably in Brazil at UFC 212, and then walk into the sunset and into the UFC’s Hall of Fame. Anything else may well damage his legacy for good.
