Too often in MMA fans think with their hearts and not their heads. They let their own personal bias over-ride rational thought and quite often this phenomenon takes place with mass effect. A perfect case in point being the majority's opinion that Anderson is head and shoulders above anyone else in his weight division. For the most part he is, but he still has one man to beat before he can be considered to have cleared out the division.
Michael Bisping represents Anderson's biggest threat to his MW title since Dan Henderson. For all the great fighters that are in the division, no-one else has the set of skills that match up so favourably as Bisping.
A few things to consider.
Sonnen benefitted from being in the right place at the right time. Anderson was injured worse than at any point in his career going into that fight. He was in the hospital just a week prior. The only thing he had to fear from Sonnen was the takedown, and it's pretty hard to stop a high level wrestler from taking you down when you have jacked up ribs. And yet a juiced up Sonnen showed an injured Anderson nothing to fear in a rematch. Silva didn't even have his guard up in the stand-up, he saw the punches coming and rolled with them, opting to keep his hands down to try his best to stop the takedown. And although Sonnen came close to a largely positionally-based victory, he wouldn't offer much for Anderson in a rematch. A fully fit Silva doesn't need nearly five rounds to finish a non-juiced Sonnen.
Okami has a solid wrestling base but lacks the fluidity on the feet to make successful transitions and will get picked apart by Anderson on the feet. If the Marquardt fight was the best standup he has to offer then he is in trouble. We can look past this fight.
All of the rest have been despatched with ease. But Bisping represents Anderson's biggest challenge at MW.
A striker who actually combines speed and pressure with head movement, unpredictable footwork and solid muay thai fundamentals. Someone with length who can work off a jab and largely dictate the range of the fight. Someone who can feint and switch levels and secure takedowns. Someone who has a solid enough wrestling base but more importantly scores damage while he is on top. Someone with a topgame that is difficult to replicate in training due to his canny ability to land GNP from standing. Someone who understands the guard game and has proven to be unsubmittable. Someone with relentless cardio who can definitely take advantage of an ageing champion in the championship rounds. These are all skills that no-one else puts together as well as Bisping, and put together they are the skills to beat Silva.
This is some solid analysis for this fight and I suggest you haters pay attention for when this fight goes down. Not only CAN Bisping beat Anderson Silva and become UFC MW champion, but he WILL.
WAR THE COUNT!
Michael Bisping represents Anderson's biggest threat to his MW title since Dan Henderson. For all the great fighters that are in the division, no-one else has the set of skills that match up so favourably as Bisping.
A few things to consider.
Sonnen benefitted from being in the right place at the right time. Anderson was injured worse than at any point in his career going into that fight. He was in the hospital just a week prior. The only thing he had to fear from Sonnen was the takedown, and it's pretty hard to stop a high level wrestler from taking you down when you have jacked up ribs. And yet a juiced up Sonnen showed an injured Anderson nothing to fear in a rematch. Silva didn't even have his guard up in the stand-up, he saw the punches coming and rolled with them, opting to keep his hands down to try his best to stop the takedown. And although Sonnen came close to a largely positionally-based victory, he wouldn't offer much for Anderson in a rematch. A fully fit Silva doesn't need nearly five rounds to finish a non-juiced Sonnen.
Okami has a solid wrestling base but lacks the fluidity on the feet to make successful transitions and will get picked apart by Anderson on the feet. If the Marquardt fight was the best standup he has to offer then he is in trouble. We can look past this fight.
All of the rest have been despatched with ease. But Bisping represents Anderson's biggest challenge at MW.
A striker who actually combines speed and pressure with head movement, unpredictable footwork and solid muay thai fundamentals. Someone with length who can work off a jab and largely dictate the range of the fight. Someone who can feint and switch levels and secure takedowns. Someone who has a solid enough wrestling base but more importantly scores damage while he is on top. Someone with a topgame that is difficult to replicate in training due to his canny ability to land GNP from standing. Someone who understands the guard game and has proven to be unsubmittable. Someone with relentless cardio who can definitely take advantage of an ageing champion in the championship rounds. These are all skills that no-one else puts together as well as Bisping, and put together they are the skills to beat Silva.
This is some solid analysis for this fight and I suggest you haters pay attention for when this fight goes down. Not only CAN Bisping beat Anderson Silva and become UFC MW champion, but he WILL.
WAR THE COUNT!
