Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman: Silva the Greatest of All Time?
With the Anderson Silva vs. Chris Weidman fight just a day away, many are wondering if Silva is the greatest MMA fighter of all-time.
According to USA Today, UFC sent out an email on Monday to ask its fighters who they thought was the best fighter, and many responded with Silva.
The 38-year-old has not lost a match since January of 2006 and is 33-4 in MMA, and 16-0 in UFC.
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Saturday's match against Weidman at the Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena for UFC 162 will see Silva go for 11th consecutive title defense in a row. Weidman, is 9-0 in MMA, and 5-0 in UFC.
Silva recently signed a 10-fight deal with every intention of continuing his dominance.
"What motivates me is to be able to do what I love to do, which is to fight. I love to fight. I love the preparation. I love to learn new things, always overcoming myself. I love being in the gym and everything involved in it," Silva told USA Today through a translator.
Some feel the odds of Silva winning his next 10 fights are low, considering he will be in his 40s and many of the younger fighters coming up will be looking to take him down, but according to those closest to Silva, he remains humbled by his excellence.
"He's never said to me that he thinks he's the greatest," said Silva's manager, Ed Soares in a statement. "What he's said is, 'Ed, I think I can do things that other people think are impossible.'"
UFC president Dana White argues that Silva could lose this fight and retire and would still easily be the greatest, but also feels the fighter will know when his time will come.
"I really believe he'll know when to hang it up," Soares said according to USA Today. "But right now, he seems to be getting better and better."
Perhaps his passion comes from his will to succeed and not care how the media perceives him.
"I think what is most important is to set good examples and for those kids that watch the UFC and the kids that are coming up," Silva said through a translator according to Review Journal. "And whatever I should have already done in the sport I've done. Win or lose, I've already done everything there is to do and now it's just a matter of doing what I love to do."
