After more than a year away from the Octagon for both Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz, two of the UFC's most recognizable stars finally put on a show for fans at UFC 183.
It wasn't the nonstop fire fight that many expected it to be. Diaz's usual aggression was hampered by The Spider's signature movement and defense. The pride of Stockton threw 223 significant strikes over the course of five rounds.
But it did have its fair share of intriguing moments, not the least of which was Diaz laying down in front of Silva in the first round and doing the things that Diaz has become known for inside the Octagon. Silva, for his part, looked sharp and accurate. The power and explosiveness that ended so many of his fights over his career simply wasn't there, though.
So with both fighters looking like lesser versions of their past selves, the question now begs to be asked: Where do they go from here?
Silva's Indecision: Retire or Chase the Belt
For all the excitement and buzz that Silva's comeback generated, fans may have seen The Spider spin his last web. The Brazilian was non-committal about his future after the bout, citing concern from his family as the reason he might hang up his gloves, per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times:
Silva on future: said his son told him to be done after fight. "I need to talk to my family."
— Lance Pugmire (@latimespugmire) February 1, 2015
If Silva does decide to walk away, it would be understandable. He's already made his case for being considered the greatest of all time. He has little to gain from continuing his career if his heart isn't in it. We've seen stars like Chuck Liddell and B.J. Penn blemish their legacies by hanging on too long.
In some ways, Silva looked as good as ever. According to Mike Bohn of MMAjunkie, he landed more significant strikes than he's ever landed in a fight:
Anderson Silva's 108 significant strikes landed against Nick Diaz at UFC 183 were the most of his 37 career fights tracked by FightMetric.
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohnMMA) February 1, 2015
But that stat actually serves to highlight the issue for The Spider. He may have proven that he's healthy enough to continue fighting in the Octagon, but the explosiveness that once made him special appears to be waning.
It isn't likely that anyone survives 108 significant strikes from Silva three years ago.
However, as long as Silva wants to fight, he'll continue to get big bouts. Dana White has alluded to giving Silva the power to do his own matchmaking. "I don't think he needs 3-4 fights to get back to the title," White said, per Elias Cepeda of Fox Sports. "But if he feels that way, he's the No. 1-ranked guy in the world, he can fight Jacare Souza, he can fight Lyoto Machida, Vitor Belfort, Luke Rockhold, Yoel Romero."
White is even still interested in making a superfight between Georges St-Pierre and the former middleweight champion, per Damon Martin of Fox Sports:
Dana White would definitely make GSP vs. Silva if GSP was interested in doing it #UFC183
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) February 1, 2015
After a seven-year title reign, countless historic fights and magic moments in the cage, no one could blame Silva for walking away. It's unlikely that the Silva that fought Saturday night could beat the champion. Weidman has already beaten him twice and can conceivably improve at only 30 years old.
As long as he continues to fight fans will continue to tune in, though. There are plenty of intriguing options for Silva outside of a championship fight. Bouts against the likes of GSP and Michael Bisping would have tremendous drawing power and represent winnable fights for the Spider.
Diaz: Take the Money and Run?
Nick Diaz has made no qualms about why he fights: the money.
The eccentric fighter has made it clear in the past that he only wants to take fights that are going to lead to the biggest paychecks. He's stuck to his word, too. His last three fights have now been against two of the biggest draws in UFC history and another one for the interim title at 170 pounds.
However, that penchant for taking the biggest fights hasn't produced the results of a true star. He's now 0-3 in those fights. His last win was in 2011.
Giving credit where credit is due, Diaz was a bit more competitive in this bout than he'll probably get credit for. As Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report noted, three of the five rounds were fairly close:
That fight was very close in three rounds. #fact Rounds three and five were clearly Silva rounds. Diaz is never winning a close round.
— Jonathan Snowden (@mmaencyclopedia) February 1, 2015
However, the reality is we might not see Diaz for a long time again. With three consecutive losses, it's hard to justify giving him the type of fights that he has been holding out for recently. As Dana White noted via Shaheen Al-Shatti of MMAFighting.com, the payday that the former Strikeforce star made at UFC 183 may mean he takes another sabbatical:
Dana White: "Nick (Diaz) made a lot of money tonight. You might not see him for three years this time."
— Shaheen Al-Shatti (@shaunalshatti) February 1, 2015
Still, much like Silva, as long as Diaz is fighting, people will tune in. The supporters of the Stockton native are as rabid as any fanbase in MMA, and the list of people who watch his fights to see him get beat is likely just as long.
Diaz might go away for a while once again, but it wouldn't be shocking to see him get sucked back in at least one more time.
All statistics via FightMetric unless otherwise noted.
