Anderson Silva is not the next Muhammad Ali

by Zak Woods on Aug 10, 2009 12:00 PM EDT in Opinion Comment 5 comments

Watching a UFC event at a bar is always an interesting experience. The best part about it is it offers the ability for instant feedback from fans.

For instance at the bar I was watching UFC 101, about 40% of the patrons left after Anderson Silva knocked-out Forrest Griffin. Clearly Griffin has more fans than Silva who voted with their feet.

As the dejected fans of Griffin shuffled out of the bar a patron sitting next to me asked me what I thought of Anderson Silva. I politely told him I thought he was one of the best fighters in the UFC. He smiled and took a long drag on his cigarette and said, "He is the next Muhammad Ali."

I can understand the appeal of this comparison despite it being wildly off base (a far more accurate comparison would be Mike Tyson). Silva and Ali might share powerful jabs, colorful movements in the ring/cage and a flare for showmanship while fighting but after that there isn't much to stand on.

Ali represented a generational shift in American culture something that boxing historians gleefully point to as being absent in MMA whenever the boxing vs. mixed martial arts debate flares up.

On top of that Muhammad Ali was one of, if not the, most famous athlete of his generation. Tiger Woods, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are far similar to the stature Ali attained. Silva isn't even the most popular fighter in the UFC, as evident by the mini-walk out I experienced.

Ali also had great rivals, namely Joe Frazier, and their first fight in 1970 represented the fracturing of American culture along generational lines during the 60's. Muhammad also had the power of shocking victories not the out right domination that Silva's UFC career has been.

Even the similarities of spectacle aren't accurate as Ali's showmanship went beyond the ring as he verbally undressed opponents, though detractors will say he engaged in race baiting. Muhammad also had Howard Cosell calling his fights, building up the legend and persona of Ali. Who does Anderson Silva have? Mike Goldberg and Joe Rogan both of whom don't have the lyrical gift of Cosell nor the sway in the America zeitgeist.

On top of all that the language barrier that exists with Silva will probably prevent him from ever becoming a true American super star.

While it is easy to poke holes in comparisons of great boxers and great MMA fighters it would behoove MMA fans to create their own legends and legacies and not reach back towards boxing.

UFC 101: Declaration coverage

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Comparison is valid.

Zak,

Silva and Ali might share powerful jabs, colorful movements in the ring/cage and a flare for showmanship while fighting but after that there isn’t much to stand on.

Both fighters were very creative in the ring, great footwork, powerful jabs, great speed, accuracy and reach. It’s more than obvious that Ali was a superstar outside of the ring but inside the ring there’s a lot of similaritites.

Watching Evans-vs-Liddell at a bar was surreal. The place went silent.
GSP-Penn II was electrifying at the bar.
Forget about UFC100, that was crazy.

Daily MMA Drawings starts Aug 10th!
http://www.scritchandscratch.com/blog

by VeeisAnimated on Aug 10, 2009 2:35 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

fair enough

watchkalibrun.com

by Zak Woods on Aug 10, 2009 2:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

dan henderson by k.o in november

by valtheguy on Aug 10, 2009 3:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Ali >>>>>Silva or anyone else

Ali was not only insanely talented but may have fought the best level of opposition of any fighter in the history of fightin’. Silva? Not so much. Ali fought Frazier, Foreman, Norton at their absolute best. Liston may or may not have been on the downside of his career but before Ali beat him he was the most feared man in the sport. When ever people tell me that Tyson could have beat Ali I always tell them that Ali beat Tyson twice only his name at the time was Sonny Liston. Only Liston was a much better technical boxer. Liston, Frazier and Foreman are easily on anyone’s all time 10 best heavyweight list. He also fought the hardest hitter in the history of the sport in Earnie Shavers, as well as a ‘second tier’ of opponents better than a lot of fighters’ ‘first tier’: Jerry Quarry, Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson, Cleveland Williams, Jimmy Young, Chuck Wepner, among others.

Ali may have also been the mentally toughest athlete in history, and was pretty damn tough physically as well. When Silva gets his jaw broken early in the fight and goes the distance as Ali did against Norton in their first fight then we’ll talk.

No disrepect to Silva who is an amazingly talented fighter, but comparing him to Ali is like comparing Evegni Malkin to Wayne Gretzky.

by The Savage Science on Aug 26, 2009 3:18 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

plus...

There’s not been a more charismatic fighter before or since. Some fighters are rock stars. Brock, Liddell, Tito for example. Ali transcends even that—if you haven’t seen it before watch ‘When We Were Kings’, which is an amazing documentary about the Foreman/Ali fight in Zaire. The way the locals in Kinshasa react to Ali is unreal—that sort of ungodly popularity and admiration is such that we may never see again.

Bottom line—there’s just no comparison between Ali and Silva. There’s few athletes in any sport that are on the same level as ‘The Greatest’.

by The Savage Science on Aug 26, 2009 3:24 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs