Anderson “Spider” Silva bathed in greatness. The greatest fighter in UFC history was undefeated under the UFC umbrella, which houses nearly everybody who’s anybody within the sport of MMA. Silva probably woke up Saturday morning and ate excellence for breakfast. He brushed his teeth with brilliance before hopping in his V12-powered dominance and driving himself to work, aka The Octagon.
Somewhere along the line, though, he forgot to pack his glass of humility. It wasn’t the first time either. Over the past few years, we’ve seen Silva increasingly malnourished of the nutrient. Symptoms include dancing during fights, smiling when hit and dropping hands during the action.
Many fighters have suffered from humility malnourishment. Boxing legend Roy Jones Jr. was famously served a glass by Antonio Tarver back in the day. Marco Antonio Barrera delivered a pint to Prince Naseem Hamed. Even St. Louis’ own Cory Spinks got a sip in front of the home crowd courtesy of Zab Judah back in 2005.
Yet none of those instances had the impact of what happened Saturday night when Silva was caught mid-taunt, with his hands down, and knocked out by Chris Weidman.
Yes, Mr. UFC was too busy trying to make his opponent look bad to avoid the punches Weidman winged his way. So, during the second round, while Silva was busy doing the (original) Harlem Shake, Weidman caught him with a looping left hand that sent the dizzy champ down hard to the mat. While he was still trying to figure out how his “I bet you can’t hit me” defense failed him, Weidman jumped on top and finished his opponent with a barrage of blows to the head.
Even sadder than the referee’s stoppage was the image of Silva semi-consciously tapping the referee’s leg to signal defeat.
In a single word, it was embarrassing.
It was bound to happen sooner or later. With athletes repeatedly pushing the limits of clowning to the next level, it was only a matter of time before a big-name athlete paid the price in a major way. Silva finally wrote the check, and hopefully other athletes will learn from his colossal mistake.
A few weeks ago, an exciting boxing match between loose-lipped Paulie Malignaggi and Adrien Broner was marred by the two arguing like an old married couple during the fight. They took turns shaking their heads, vogueing for the crowd and making other idiotic gestures that made a genuinely interesting bout annoying.
Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez also has an affection for putting his hands down and inviting his opponent to hit him. It’s no coincidence that he’s tasted the canvas at least once in the last three bouts.
Sure, athletes in other sports clown as well, and to be fair it adds excitement to the game Every blue moon you’ll see LeBron James miss a dunk, Chris Paul throw away a no-look pass attempt, a football player trip and fall trying to high step into the end zone. Those athletes end up on SportCenter’s “Not Top 10” and often chuckle about it.
But it’s rare that those small blunders will cost them a game and almost certain that it won’t cost them their consciousness. For Silva, his cockiness cost him that plus his cloak of invincibility. The man who has won fights in nearly every way imaginable just lost in title in a manner which was inexcusable.
After the bout, jilted fans screamed foul and accused Silva of throwing the match. Silva was so ashamed he said he did not want a rematch and just wanted to go home and rest. It’s ironic that a man who danced and teased under the bright lights, in hopes of gaining more fame and money, now wants nothing more than to go home and get away from the spotlight. It’s too bad Silva didn’t recognize that his marvelous Macarena skills were never responsible for the heights he reached in the UFC. It was his dominance.
Still, if Silva can regain his hunger, the embarrassing loss may be a blessing in disguise. No longer will fans be forced to watch the lame lulls in action as “Spider” dances around like an idiot. Mike Tyson, one of the most popular and exciting fighters in the world, gained his fame and acclaim off one thing: crushing skulls. If more MMA fighters and boxers focus on stopping their opponents instead of starting a Soul Train line, the world of sports will be a better place.
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