Silva- make the beast with two backs you! If you want to be called the best fighter in the world than make the beast with two backsing act like it. I can see letting that fight go into round two but knock the make the beast with two backser out already. Maia was severly outclassed and Silva just acted like a pregnant dog.
I'm conflicted about Silva's performance. I keep thinking that if I could control distance, counter-strike, and move like him, that's how all my fights would look, too. It's a competition, not self-defense, so there's no pressure to protect your life and judge's decisions are wins too... so why close distance and let the other guy get in a lucky shot? Pick him apart, take no damage, go home with the belt. So, I can understand that particular approach. I’m not thrilled to pay to watch that approach, but I understand. On the other hand, if I had hammers in my hands like Silva, I can't see myself letting guys hang around long enough to have the chance to land one on me... bang them out in the first couple of rounds, put on a god-awful t-shirt and obnoxious hat, give a sing-song interview through my interpreter and haul ass back to Curitaba. There’s plenty that can go wrong tap-dancing around the cage, and if that fancy foot work caused me to slip on a wet spot I’d really, really regret not letting my hands go early and often.
The only thing that struck me as out and out wrong was Silva’s hypocrisy during the fight. He was taunting Maia for not being willing (or able) to close distance and engage Silva with strikes on the feet. At the same time, Silva got Maia on his back multiple times, but wouldn’t follow Maia to the ground to bang him out. You can’t have it both ways – if you’re gonna call your opponent out for not playing to your strength; you can’t also avoid playing to your opponent’s strength.
