Comments on: Anderson. The New Chuck? http://www.mmaopinion.com/blog/2008/03/07/anderson-the-new-chuck/ MMA Opinion and Cheap MMA Gear Sat, 17 Mar 2012 15:45:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Vee http://www.mmaopinion.com/blog/2008/03/07/anderson-the-new-chuck/comment-page-1/#comment-419 Vee Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:11:42 +0000 http://www.mmaopinion.com/2008/03/07/anderson-the-new-chuck/#comment-419 I think Anderson win streak is far different from Liddell's streak. Forget about rankings for a second, rankings can be very debatable and subjective. Look at the 7 bouts Liddell faced. He fought 2 rematches and all 7 fights were against wrestlers and submission fighters. I wouldn't say that they were tailored to Liddell's style because both Horn and Couture own victories over Liddell but there was no variation in the MMA competitions. Look at the different fighters that Anderson faced and what they brought to the table. He's fought strikers in Franklin & Leben, BJJ sub artists in Lutter, grapplers and wrestlers in Henderson & Marquardt, and guys with pretty solid chins Leben & Henderson - who also have seriously proven KO Power. So what will happen when Anderson Silva faces another Muy Thai specialist? Oh yeah, he KO'ed Curtis Stout within 1 round. A note about Leben. He has more than proved his durability and strong chin against Terry Martin and a split decision against current hot-hand Patrick Cote. Say what you will about rankings, but 18-4 is a pretty impressive record. End note, Anderson Silva is due. Like any fighter, he has some weaknesses. Apparently no one took full advantage of them like Travis Lutter who failed to make the most of his full mount position against the middleweight champion. I think Anderson win streak is far different from Liddell’s streak. Forget about rankings for a second, rankings can be very debatable and subjective.
Look at the 7 bouts Liddell faced. He fought 2 rematches and all 7 fights were against wrestlers and submission fighters. I wouldn’t say that they were tailored to Liddell’s style because both Horn and Couture own victories over Liddell but there was no variation in the MMA competitions.
Look at the different fighters that Anderson faced and what they brought to the table. He’s fought strikers in Franklin & Leben, BJJ sub artists in Lutter, grapplers and wrestlers in Henderson & Marquardt, and guys with pretty solid chins Leben & Henderson – who also have seriously proven KO Power. So what will happen when Anderson Silva faces another Muy Thai specialist? Oh yeah, he KO’ed Curtis Stout within 1 round.

A note about Leben. He has more than proved his durability and strong chin against Terry Martin and a split decision against current hot-hand Patrick Cote. Say what you will about rankings, but 18-4 is a pretty impressive record.

End note, Anderson Silva is due. Like any fighter, he has some weaknesses. Apparently no one took full advantage of them like Travis Lutter who failed to make the most of his full mount position against the middleweight champion.

]]> By: Curtis Clontz http://www.mmaopinion.com/blog/2008/03/07/anderson-the-new-chuck/comment-page-1/#comment-407 Curtis Clontz Fri, 07 Mar 2008 18:52:38 +0000 http://www.mmaopinion.com/2008/03/07/anderson-the-new-chuck/#comment-407 Josh, Thanks for the post! I like it when I get feedback, whether it is positive or negative. Guess that's why they call is MMAOpinion. I can see your opinions too. After the Hendo fight, I was thinking about how the UFC will market Silva, and wondered if they would be able to market him like Chuck. The comparison came from remembering how everyone (especially on Sherdog's Forum) thought that Chuck was unbeatable. Similar to the way they view Anderson Silva right now. Wand was a beast in Pride. I was in his corner against Chuck! I am not a big Chuck fan, but he is very marketable and the fans love him! Josh,
Thanks for the post! I like it when I get feedback, whether it is positive or negative. Guess that’s why they call is MMAOpinion. I can see your opinions too.

After the Hendo fight, I was thinking about how the UFC will market Silva, and wondered if they would be able to market him like Chuck. The comparison came from remembering how everyone (especially on Sherdog’s Forum) thought that Chuck was unbeatable. Similar to the way they view Anderson Silva right now.

Wand was a beast in Pride. I was in his corner against Chuck! I am not a big Chuck fan, but he is very marketable and the fans love him!

]]> By: Josh Stein http://www.mmaopinion.com/blog/2008/03/07/anderson-the-new-chuck/comment-page-1/#comment-405 Josh Stein Fri, 07 Mar 2008 17:15:23 +0000 http://www.mmaopinion.com/2008/03/07/anderson-the-new-chuck/#comment-405 I disagree with this statement purely on the basis that most world MMA rankings never listed Chuck Liddell as the #1 fighter in the world. It's just not something that they did, because they figured that Wanderlei would kill him, as Rampage did in his brief run over in Japan. While Chuck won seven times in a row, it's important to remember that his run came after being demolished by Rampage in his brief Pride stint, which followed a loss to Randy Couture. Very few people, myself included, thought that Chuck was even a top 4 205 pounder. (at the time, I ranked him 6, behind Wanderlei, Shogun, Rampage, Arona and Nogueira) Anderson, on the other hand, has beaten a top 5 fighter, where Chuck did not. Some might argue that at the time Anderson fought Franklin, Franklin was a top five fighter (with Kang, Henderson, Misaki and Filho), and while I tend to disagree with that assessment, I will not deny that Henderson is certainly a top 5 guy and Anderson is certainly ranked #1 after beating him. That said, I think that it's also not an adequate comparison of dominance. Liddell wasn't finishing everyone in the openning two rounds the way that Silva has (while I'll certainly acknowledge that Anderson took longer than that with Henderson, I don't think that it makes sense to count that as Hendo is a top 5 guy and Anderson STILL finished him, while Liddell didn't even fight that level of contender without getting his face smashed). This is a good piece for those who are familiar with Liddell because of his fame, and because of the notoriety that he's brought to MMA as an actor (the same reason many are familiar with Tito Ortiz), but the fact is, I don't see them as being on the same level because they weren't competing on the same level, at least in my opinion. Still, perhaps we should start calling Anderson "The Next Wanderlei," as a comparison to the way Wandy ran Japan for years seems more appropriate, at least to me. Good stuff, though, Curtis. Interesting points. I disagree with this statement purely on the basis that most world MMA rankings never listed Chuck Liddell as the #1 fighter in the world. It’s just not something that they did, because they figured that Wanderlei would kill him, as Rampage did in his brief run over in Japan.

While Chuck won seven times in a row, it’s important to remember that his run came after being demolished by Rampage in his brief Pride stint, which followed a loss to Randy Couture. Very few people, myself included, thought that Chuck was even a top 4 205 pounder. (at the time, I ranked him 6, behind Wanderlei, Shogun, Rampage, Arona and Nogueira) Anderson, on the other hand, has beaten a top 5 fighter, where Chuck did not. Some might argue that at the time Anderson fought Franklin, Franklin was a top five fighter (with Kang, Henderson, Misaki and Filho), and while I tend to disagree with that assessment, I will not deny that Henderson is certainly a top 5 guy and Anderson is certainly ranked #1 after beating him.

That said, I think that it’s also not an adequate comparison of dominance. Liddell wasn’t finishing everyone in the openning two rounds the way that Silva has (while I’ll certainly acknowledge that Anderson took longer than that with Henderson, I don’t think that it makes sense to count that as Hendo is a top 5 guy and Anderson STILL finished him, while Liddell didn’t even fight that level of contender without getting his face smashed).

This is a good piece for those who are familiar with Liddell because of his fame, and because of the notoriety that he’s brought to MMA as an actor (the same reason many are familiar with Tito Ortiz), but the fact is, I don’t see them as being on the same level because they weren’t competing on the same level, at least in my opinion.

Still, perhaps we should start calling Anderson “The Next Wanderlei,” as a comparison to the way Wandy ran Japan for years seems more appropriate, at least to me.

Good stuff, though, Curtis. Interesting points.

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