Can Anderson Silva recapture the aura of invincibility that made him one of the greatest champions in MMA history?
That's the question that will be answered on January 31 when he takes on Nick Diaz at UFC 183.
If this bout were taking place two years ago, this matchup would be a no-brainer. Silva's brand of precise counterstriking would be the perfect foil to Nick Diaz's forward style, which throws caution to the wind.
However, coming off back-to-back losses, a gruesome injury and the inevitable aging that comes with being 39 years old, this bout is a lot more intriguing now. Here's a look at what to expect when two of the organization's most exciting fighters step in the cage.
When: Saturday, Jan. 31
Start Time: Fight Pass prelims at 7 p.m. ET (subscription required); Fox Sports 1 prelims at 8 p.m. ET; main card pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
Live Stream: UFC.tv
| Silva | Diaz | |
| 33-6 | Record | 27-9-1 |
| 6'2" | Height | 6'0" |
| 185 | Weight | 185 |
| 20 | KO/TKO | 13 |
| 6 | Sub. | 8 |
| 7 | Dec. | 5 |
| -440 | Odds | +350 |
UFC.com; Odds via Odds Shark
Odds via Odds Shark as of Jan. 25, 2014 at 3:30 p.m. ET
Fight Preview
The thing that makes this bout must-see TV is the same thing that makes it difficult to predict. When it comes to both fighters, there are more questions than answers right now.
The Spider has already sealed his place on MMA's Mount Rushmore. His reign as middleweight champion is among the most dominant of all time. His highlight reel is among the most devastating resumes of anyone.
However, fans will watch him try to do something he's never done in the UFC: successfully come back from a loss. For his part, Silva appears to be confident that his injury woes are behind him.
"The training for the fight is the same,” Silva said on a conference call via Jeremy Botter of the Houston Chronicle and Bleacher Report. “My leg is good now. I train hard now. I don’t talk more for this, because this is the past.”
Silva has even gone as far as to post multiple videos of him training on his Instagram:
However, it's impossible to tell just how close to 100 percent Silva will be when he actually steps into the cage. To throw kicks freely in training is one thing, but to have full confidence to throw them against a live opponent is quite another. How Silva has overcome his injury mentally will reveal just how dangerous he can be after more than a year away from the Octagon.
As it just so happens, the UFC chose the perfect opponent to test where Silva is as a striker in Nick Diaz. The Stockton bad boy has never run away from exchanging with an opponent. The former welterweight title challenger's 5.63 significant strikes landed per round is indicative of his penchant for slugging it out.
| Silva | Diaz | |
| 3.11 | Strikes Landed/Min. | 5.63 |
| 67% | Accuracy | 43% |
| 1.47 | Strikes Absorbed/Min. | 3.50 |
| 63% | Defense | 62% |
| .69 | Takedowns/15 Min. | 1.44 |
| 78% | Takedown Accuracy | 34% |
| 70% | Takedown Defense | 60% |
| 8:57 | Average Fight Time | 10:50 |
Stats via FightMetric
Diaz has always been a divisive fighter. His in-cage and out-of-cage antics either make him a heel or a hero depending on who you ask. But one thing is certain: He will bring the pressure.
Whether Silva is still the analytic counterstriker that he's always been will determine what happens in this bout.
Prediction
The thing about predicting any bout featuring Nick Diaz is that he's a unique fighter. Very few fighters are able to sustain the pressure and pace that he can over the course of a five-round fight. It's a style that former opponent Georges St-Pierre feels could give Silva trouble, per Chael Sonnen's podcast:
He brings a different intensity that you've never seen before. You feel like you're claustrophobic and you lose a lot of energy because he's constantly pushing you forward and it's very hard to fight a guy like him. Especially in the later rounds.
[...]
I believe that Diaz is very good in boxing. I believe a lot of his training is pure boxing. He's probably the best boxer in mixed martial arts. If you make the fight a boxing fight, I believe he's going to win.
It's hard to disagree with someone like GSP. After all, he's been in the cage with Diaz. But it isn't as though he's the same kind of striker as Silva.
Whereas the Canadian star is an aggressive striker who needs to get off first in an exchange, Silva has always been a more pure counterstriker. Diaz is used to bringing the fights to opponents, but he's struggled against the footwork and technical prowess of Carlos Condit and GSP.
Diaz's volume means he can wear opponents out, but it also means more openings for The Spider to launch his own counterassault.
Leg injury and old age or not, there aren't many who have survived a well-placed counterstrike. Expect Silva to return emphatically.
Silva via third-round TKO
