FanPost

UFC 126 - Silva's Key To Victory

On February 5th the mixed martial arts world will be treated to a duel between two of the premier strikers in the entire sport. Top pound for pound and Middleweight division kingpin Anderson "The Spider" Silva will put his 185 pound title on the line when he faces the always dangerous Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort.

 

Anderson Silva is coming into the fight on the heels of a less the impressive showing in a grudge match with trash talking Chael Sonnen back in August of 2010. In the fight Anderson should his lack of ability to stop the takedown and was beaten to the punch several times for 24 minutes of the title fight. But when it counted Anderson wrapped up a triangle choke with a minute left to secure the come from behind victory and retained his title.

 

Silva, who is currently riding an undefeated streak of thirteen fights (12-0 UFC) and has an overall record of 27-4 has beaten a "whose who" of the middle weight division that includes former UFC Middleweight champion Rich Franklin, former Pride Middleweight champion Dan Henderson and former King of Pancrase Nate Marquadt.  

 

But never has he faced someone with the striking prowess of Vitor Belfort. While handling wrestlers, jiu jitsu players and "jack of al trade" style fights; Anderson has yet to be truly tested by someone with striking skills any where near the level of "the Spider’s."

 

I will break down Anderson’s keys to victory after the jump.

 

Anderson Silva of course is a legend of the sport. He has one of the most notable win streaks and one of the more respectable resumes in all of mixed martial arts. Starting his career in mid-2000 he has made his fighting presence felt in promotions such as Shooto, Rumble on the Rock, Cage Rage, Pride and most notable the UFC.

A black belt under the Nogueira brothers, Anderson also is a black belt in Judo and Tae Kwon Do and a yellow rope in Capoeira. Anderson also has ties into boxing as well, he has boxed professionally twice and has expressed desire throughout his career to have a super fight with former boxing champion and legend Roy Jones Jr.

 

One of the more notable feats of Anderson’s career is that in just a year into his successful career he was slated to fight 20-0 Hayato Sakurai. He was the first man to beat Sakurai at just 26 years old to become the Shooto 167-pound champion.

 

But what will the now 35 year old champion need to do to secure victory? Lets start with Anderson’s bread and butter.

 

 

The Muay Thai Plum

 

The clinch work in Muay Thai can be very devastating. I have dipped into Muay Thai in another fanpost not too long ago but will go through it briefly. The "plum" is also recognized as a double collar tie or neck tie. Anderson has translated this Muay Thai technique soundly into mixed martial arts as seen by his demolishing of Rich Franklin.

 

By placing both hands typically one over the other behind your opponent’s neck you can control their movement and where they can or cannot go. This is trickier depending on what sort of gloves you use. By controlling your opponent you can unleash knee strikes to the body or to the head and you can also switch to a single hand on the clinch to throw elbows, punches and uppercuts.  

 

Twice in this clip you see Anderson Silva using the Thai Plum on Rich Franklin. The first part of the clip is what I want to focus in on. Anderson has hands right over left snuggly behind Franklin’s neck and has started to dictate where Franklin is going to be. By keeping his elbows in tight he leaves just enough room between his arms to bring a knee up to Franklin’s face. But that is not what he does initially.

 

He immediately attacks Franklin’s body leaving Rich crossing arms defending his body. With his arms so low trying to prevent a body shot Anderson angles his body back and with maximum momentum thrusts his body forward launching his knee smashing into Franklin’s face. Franklin is already visible wobbled and rocked.

 

Vitor Belfort has trained with Anderson in the past so he knows how devastating the Thai clinch can be so I doubt he will be caught off guard. However, Anderson Silva will enjoy a nice reach advantage which will mean for Vitor to unload strikes he will have to move deep into Anderson’s range making him vulnerable to be clinched. When Anderson uses his clinch to diversify his arsenal he becomes a pick your poison type fighter, basically saying Anderson is going to beat you… now you determine how.

 

 

Accuracy, head movement and footwork

 

Part of being a good striker is being able to get it down on the feet without actually striking. Being able to be patient enough to throw the most efficient strike instead of throwing punches in bunches hoping one will land. While the quantity over quality method can work the more methodical and most proven successful way is to be patient in the pocket. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to be a counter puncher.

 

Using head movement is an easy way to accomplish this feat. Making your head a moving target will lead to strikers missing on strikes, and when you miss on a streak is where you will be most vulnerable. Often times this is where fighters will drop their hands or have their hands in the wrong area leading to an exposed chin, body or legs.

 

Footwork plays a huge part as well. Being able to move out of danger is important and being quick to do so will also allow you to hit angles and target exposed areas. When your opponent is in front of you blocking is different then if your opponent is at an angle now possible 45 degrees to either side which is why is you can laterally move quick enough you have a limited amount of time to attack unblocked areas.

 

Accuracy is the final ingredient to this particular recipe. Being able to move well will mean little if you are not able to push off some offense through it. Moving fast and hitting fast is often time the reason for a lot of knockouts or at the very least knock downs. When an opponent sees movement, especially quick movement there is a window in time where they will be off balance. With a proper strike to the leg or face they will be often left on the ground from the force and lack of stable base.

 

Anderson does a lot of things right in this clip of his first round blitzing of Forrest Griffin. He starts out by rapidly pushing the pace and lunging into Forrest Griffin. Anderson uses his reach beautifully. When he forces Forrest to back peddle he remains just barely on the cusp of Forrest’s reach and keeps his head active so Forrest can not pick Anderson off coming in. While off balance Forrest can not put any force what so ever into his punches making a landed strike even less dangerous for Anderson.

 

Also, Anderson throws straight punches during the exchange while Forrest throws hooks. That leaves Forrest open for straight punches. As soon as Forrest begins to gain a better base and stops back peddling he puts weight on the right foot to have more power in the punch, Anderson uses his legendary elusiveness and head movement to ward off the upcoming shots. Every time Forrest throws he leaves his hands down. As Forrest begins to circle away Anderson changes levels and while doing so moves his feet circling with Forrest cutting him off as he moves. This is easily the most important part of the clip.

 

Anderson finally cuts that edge Forrest is trying to circle, plants his lead leg and throws a hook to the exposed side of Forrest’s guard. Not only is the punch thrown with power but it also met by Forrest’s momentum. That combination led to the knock down.

 

Anderson will use his reach against Vitor Belfort. Anderson understands very well how much of a threat Vitor offers in the striking department. Anderson should be able to keep Vitor at the edge of his range in order to land the most effective punches and also force Vitor to stretch out when he punches leaving himself over extended and vulnerable to the counter. Vitor will need to come in close to avoid that which also can be very dangerous as Anderson will be able to circle out or duck under punches to attempt to beat Vitor to the punch.

 

 

Power and Diversity

 

There are a lot of strikers out there who pose a threat striking but not a threat of a knock out. You can throw Forrest Griffin and Michael Bisping on that list. Anderson is far from that, Anderson Silva while not known for nasty overhands or lunging hooks packs a punch in the simplest of strikers. For proof look at the jab that ended the Forrest Griffin fight.

 

But why is power so important?

 

Because when you fight as someone as dangerous as Vitor Belfort the less time you fight the guy the better. Anderson Silva has a career stoppage ratio of 74% in his much celebrated career and of the twenty stoppages fifteen have come by way of knockout (KO/TKO).

 

Anderson also has a skill set comparable to very few in the sport. Added in with his power Anderson Silva has hit combinations and strikes that very few dare to try. He throws head kicks with either leg in either stance, throws very nasty leg kick and with his hands he is simply a wizard.

 

Being able to mix up strikes leaves your opponent incapable of timing or predicting your offense. Throwing different strikes at different angles allows you to catch your opponent guessing wrong and unprepared making their recovery time very little if existent at all.

 

What exactly do you do in this position? Anderson Silva hits Rich Franklin everywhere. Starting with a body punch that Rich deflects, Anderson then lands a leg kick and if you watch closely Rich is defending is body as he throws it. Anderson then completes the trifecta going twice to the head with punches on a rocked Franklin with his hands down. He finishes off the blitzkrieg with two knees that puts him down and out. Franklin at that point is hurt bad and not knowing what will come next and is thoroughly overwhelmed.

 

Anderson has shown the world how diverse he is, from flying knees to leg punches he has shown a skill set that many will never be prepared for. If Vitor guesses wrong on a strike Anderson will use what we have gone over mixed in with his diversity to overwhelm Vitor. Add in the power and Vitor could be in a lot of trouble.

 

 

The ground game and body triangle

 

 

While being an elite striker many forget how slick Anderson’s ground game is. With submission victories over Travis Lutter, Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen to show for the skills, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt is a threat wherever the fight goes.

 

His wrestling isn’t too shabby either, which was highlighted by a beautiful "switch" pulled on Nate Marquadt that led to his TKO stoppage after unleashing some ground and pound on the challenger.

 

But the skill that Anderson Silva is most dangerous with is the body triangle. If you are on top of him or if he has your back he uses his long legs to stretch over and lock in a hold that is the same as that of a triangle choke except around your midsection. Not only does this control the opponent’s movement but it also puts pressure on the abdomen making it hard to breathe. The body lock has even caused submission in the past.

 

When the body triangle is locked in on Dan Henderson he doesn’t have an easy way out. It is nearly impossible to loosen the leg and slide or wiggle out. Especially without his hands which are busy fighting off the rear naked choke attempt. When the body is turned sideways you can see the pressure Anderson’s legs have on Henderson. Once Anderson locks in the choke he merely has to add pressure to the legs suffocating Henderson’s body and it was only a matter of time before Henderson would tap out. Had the body triangle not been locked in Henderson may have been able to survive the remaining several seconds until round end.

 

If this fight ends up on the ground there will be two highly respected black belts grappling. Who will win exactly? That is unclear but if Anderson is able to lock in a body lock no matter what position rest assured Vitor will not be in a comfortable position.

 

 

Killer instinct and champion’s mentality

 

 

Two intangibles often overlooked about Anderson Silva. Anderson has a mean streak when he has a fighter hurt. When he had the opportunity to end a fight he has. Many will question his fights with Maia, Leites and Cote but in every single fight aside from those when he has a fighter hurt he finishes. And finishes violently.

 

Anderson Silva has all the tools to beat any style of fighter. He has the power, footwork and arsenal to win standing and the slick grappling to end it on the mat. But his vicious fight ending methods are what got Anderson Silva to be known as one of the most feared fighter in the sport.

 

After landing a huge head kick and uppercut combination on Chris Leben, Anderson wastes little time unloading three big punches on his rocked opponent. He allows no time to recover and little time to try and defend. He unloads power shots on a defenseless opponent securing the stoppage and knock down.

 

Being so fast and accurate is the key to success on this one. Anderson knows if he hurts his opponent he can finish him. That means the mistake window for Vitor Belfort is almost entirely closed, if he slips he might be handing the win over to the champion.

 

And if the tables are turned on Anderson and he is put into danger he has the heart to persevere. He was mounted by Travis Lutter, taken down by Nate Marquadt but most recently he was tested by Chael Sonnen.

 

Chael Sonnen outclassed Anderson Silva for 4 and 3/4ths rounds. He took him down every single round, he clipped him standing and came close to almost finishing the champion. But with little time left Anderson throw up his own version of the hail mary and latched in a triangle choke that forced Sonnen to tap.

 

My personal key to success for Anderson Silva is when faced with adversity will the champion come out and push him forward. If Vitor pulls the trigger and connects one of his power punches on Anderson will he get overwhelmed or will he find a way to recover and win.

 

Anderson Silva has never been beaten in the UFC. He finds a way to win when every time he has faced a challenge.

 

Give me your opinion Maniac’s…..

 

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