Pound for pound. It was a phrase created by sportswriters for boxing legend Sugar Ray Robinson, a welterweight and middleweight champion who defied conventional thought when it came to what could be done within the confines of the sweet science.
In the ensuing years, these mythical rankings continued to be used and are still in evidence today, not just in boxing, but in mixed martial arts, where most fans and pundits deem UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva to be the best the sport has to offer. But just as former middleweight boxing champ Bernard Hopkins’s place on the pound for pound list was criticized by some because at the time he never strayed past 160 pounds, MMA followers have wondered how Silva would fare outside 185 pounds in the UFC.
On Saturday, we find out, as Silva jumps to the light heavyweight division to take on knockout artist James ‘The Sandman’ Irvin (Spike TV 9pm ET / 6pm PT). But Silva’s decision to add 20 pounds to his frame isn’t based on a desire to silence any doubters.
“This happened as a personal favor for (UFC President) Dana (White),” said Silva of the bout. “I feel that it’s my responsibility to help the UFC, and I have said that when needed I will help. This is a test for me and my camp; we are testing what we can and can’t do.”
If past history has shown anything, it’s that there is little Silva can’t accomplish within the confines of the Octagon or ring. Take away the wins and losses and just look at how he fights. UFC commentator Joe Rogan once called the Brazilian’s style “a ballet of violence”. In musical terms, let’s just say that a Silva fight is the equivalent of listening to a Charlie Parker saxophone solo while someone else plays chopsticks on the piano. Not only is one so much more complex and improvisational, it’s on a whole different instrument. But this praise is deflected by the champion.
“I don’t think I am the best,” he said. “I’m far from being the best in the world. People can say what they want, but I don’t believe I am yet. I can only say that when I stop fighting, I still have a lot to go through, and there are still many great fighters out there.”
That may be the scary part, that as good as he is, he may not have even scratched the surface on his talent. Well, it’s scary for his opponents; for us, it’s a chance to see something you don’t see every day – a supreme athlete at the top of his game. Then again, that was at middleweight. Pack on 20 pounds and a lot of things can change.
“Those at 205 have to drop weight to fight,” admits Silva. “In my case I had to go up in weight, and even though I walk around weighing 220, I’m not used to fighting with that weight. We were able to adapt our training to the weight, but we’ll have to wait for the 19th and see what happens. I hope to have a positive result. My game at 205 is different than most, and I hope everyone will like it.”
At middleweight in the UFC, Silva has barely been scratched, with only Dan Henderson and Travis Lutter being able to steal a round from him in their bouts before being submitted a round later. His other Octagon foes – Chris Leben, Rich Franklin (twice), and Nate Marquardt were all victims of TKOs or KOs. But against Irvin, he will be facing the hardest puncher he has ever been in with in his eight year career.
“James Irvin is a dangerous athlete,” said Silva. “He’s got good footwork, he is good standing up and he has some dangerous moves, like any fighter. I am going to fight with caution and try to surprise him.” Does that mean taking the fight to the mat, where he can work the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills that earned him a black belt, or opting to stand and trade, hoping that his quick and accurate strikes can offset the Californian’s bombs?
“MMA includes many different situations, standing, on the ground, striking,” he said. “The moments of the fight will determine the outcome of the fight. He is a striker and so am I; if I believe that I can stand up and bang with him I will. If I have to put him on the ground I will. I hope to have a great fight standing up; I will test him to see how good he really is.”
If you’re not excited for this fight right about now, I suggest checking out the badminton channel. This has the potential to be one of those fights where the hair stands up on your arm from start to finish. For Silva, that’s the point of this whole thing.
“That’s what I train for, to give a great spectacle,” he said. But what happens after July 19th if he scores a spectacular victory that has fight fans begging to see him in with the best the stacked 205-pound division has to offer? We’ll have to wait and see, but right now, Silva is committed to going back to 185 pounds and continuing his reign of terror.
“There are many good fighters in my weight class and I intend on facing them,” said the champ, who has defended the crown he won in 2006 from Rich Franklin four times. In that time, Silva has gone from a scary and relatively unknown fighter here in the States to a beloved champion who has legitimately achieved superstar status in the UFC. Action figures and video games are on the way, and he’s even opened up his own gym in Miami with training partner and interim UFC heavyweight champ Antonio Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira – the Nogueira and Silva Mixed Martial Arts Academy. His aim for the school is clear.
“I hope the students learn to respect, learn how we treat people, our way of being, and our discipline in martial arts,” he said. “I hope we can accomplish that, a positive result. We have great teachers; I hope our students will learn our martial arts philosophy.”
And part of that philosophy is being humble, because even when pressed on the pound for pound question, Silva won’t bite.
“There is no world-best,” he said. “And no one is unbeatable. We all want perfection but it’s almost impossible and I am after it at every moment. I always try to improve but it’s very difficult. I think that there is still a lot to be done, a lot to be lived and improvements to make. It’s a big responsibility and I try not to think of it.”
He will say this though – the best is yet to come.
“I don’t think I’ve had my highlight yet. I am still a small star in the constellation, and I think I’m still far from the UFC hall of stars. But I am getting there slowly.”
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