For a number of years during an unprecedented unbeaten run Anderson Silva was so dominant in the UFC that perhaps complacency set in.
That’s one way of looking at his recent KO loss to Chris Weidman, and according to his coach Cesario Bezerra in an interview with Brazilian site Globo it appears that Silva himself has acknowledged that he took his eyes of the prize.
“He regrets it, lost his focus,” Bezerra claims. “He apologized, but it’s done.”
It’s said that the true mark of a champion is how he reacts to a defeat, and while Silva was initially reluctant to entertain an immediate rematch, his true colors have quickly shone through and he now appears determined to redeem himself and prove that this was just a one-off and not a sign that at the age of 38, Father Time has finally caught up with him.
“Everybody has to retire, but it’s not my time yet,” Silva tells Globo. “I’ll get a rematch. Chris gave me this opportunity and we’re fighting again. That’s another chance to overcome, reinvent myself as a person and athlete.”
You could be forgiven for thinking that means we’ll never see Silva with his hands down at his waist taunting his opponents in the Octagon, but ‘The Spider’ says that’s not necessarily true.
“There was no lack of respect. I respect everybody. All the provocation, hands down… It should continue, it’s part of the show.”
It’ll be interesting to see whether Silva really does believe that and looks to play with fire for a second time in their rematch in December.
Honestly, I doubt it, but with this particular fighting legend you never know quite what to expect when he steps into the Octagon, and that’s one of the many reasons why Silva Vs Weidman 2 is all set to be one of the biggest fights in the history of the sport.
