Anderson Silva made his triumphant return to the Octagon last night (Sat., Jan. 31, 2015), taking on Nick Diaz in the main event of UFC 183, which took place inside MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
It wasn't an instant classic, but it was certainly great to see Silva get back into form after suffering such a terrible leg injury back in Dec. 2013.
Was it top form? Not really -- he appeared tentative, not eager to get into a brawl with Diaz, who talked trash, clowned and baited the former Middleweight champion as best he could to no avail. Indeed, Silva stuck to his gameplan, which included using his injured leg quite extensively to keep Diaz in check, en route to a lopsided unanimous decision win on the judges scorecards.
After the match, Diaz told ringside announcer Joe Rogan that he though he won all five rounds, even though just one judge agreed ... for one round of the five-round showdown. That might explain his lack of urgency -- Diaz offered very little offensively with the exception of a few fleeting moments of effectiveness.
Silva, meanwhile, was very emotional, dropping to the canvas in tears when the decision was read. His grueling comeback a technical success.
For a complete Anderson Silva vs. Nick Diaz fight recap click here. And to check out full UFC 183: "Silva vs. Diaz" results, including play-by-play coverage, click here.