One of the storylines leading into UFC Fight Night: Bigfoot vs. Mir was whether Frank Mir should consider retirement. But once the evening was over, that conversation changed.
Mir needed less than two minutes to dispatch Antonio Silva, and he did so in brutal fashion. It was Silva's second straight loss, and he has not had his hand raised in more than two years. Perhaps the question should be whether Silva's time in competition is over.
One must wonder how much longer Bigfoot, who is 35 years old, expects to compete. He's taken a lot of damage in recent contests. Three quick defeats and the brutal battle he had with Mark Hunt are major points of concern. Even his victory over Alistair Overeem at UFC 156 came after taking a lot of punishment from his opponent.
During the post-fight press conference, the media began the conversation by asking questions about whether Silva has a "weak chin."
"All of the knockouts that I've taken were hits to my head," Silva stated during the conference (video via MMA Fighting). "I think that a [weak chin] has nothing to do with it. Frank hit me first. Heavyweights are like this. It happens."
But "it" is happening to Silva far too frequently at this point in his career. He also mentioned that he is going to return to competition after taking some time off, but perhaps the UFC should intervene.
Fighters such as Matt Hughes, Chuck Liddell and others have been ushered away from the cage. Those with the power to make these types of decisions should have a conversation with Bigfoot about whether he should continue down this path.
Unfortunately, the organization is in need of big names in the heavyweight division. Even though Mir and Silva have experienced skids in their careers, both men are ranked within the promotion's top 15. Heavyweight is not as deep as other divisions, and that fact may keep Silva competing for yet another chance at the title.
Many individuals within the MMA media have voiced concern for Silva at this point in his career. MMA journalist James Lynch took to Twitter to say he does not want to see Silva competing at this level anymore:
I don't want to see Antonio Silva fight again. That was awful #UFCPOA
— James Lynch (@LynchOnSports) February 23, 2015
Silva has given the sport of mixed martial arts some big moments. He played the underdog against Fedor Emelianenko and Overeem but pulled out career-defining wins. His career has taken a downturn, since then, however. With yet another smashing defeat on his ledger, it is time for Silva to move away from the sport before he sustains more violent damage.
