Issue 124

January 2015

Despite entering his 40th year with a metal rod in his leg and more willing opponents than ever before up ahead, Anderson Silva and his team insist MMA’s GOAT is back and ready to dominate once again in the final chapter of his unparalleled fighting career.

The same physical gifts bestowed on Anderson Silva that took the thrilling mixed martial artist towards greatness were exposed as human frailty in one resounding crack a year ago. It left the most talented finisher in the history of the sport facing New Year 2014 a broken man. 

The reality is, 2015 really will be a "new year" for the man considered MMA’s "Greatest of all Time" (GOAT) as "The Spider" makes his return on all fronts: physically, mentally, and emotionally.

The scars, it seems, have healed along with the screws and bolts in his leg, and the Brazilian readies himself for another chapter in a career as enigmatic as his fighting style. Time away has made him reflect on many things, especially his fighting life, as he reveals in a Fighters Only exclusive interview. 

There have been glimpses of the great warrior throughout 2014: walking downstairs, tentatively kicking pads. But the great Brazilian sportsman is about to be propelled back into the limelight with a high-profile comeback against notorious Nick Diaz – who probably won’t come quietly, as the saying goes – in Las Vegas. 

Their UFC 183 headliner at the end of January will also lead straight into a couple of months filming the next season of The Ultimate Fighter Brazil, when Anderson will act as a rival coach opposite another Brazilian fighting legend in Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua. These are the first steps on the path of his newly-inked 15-fight deal with the UFC.

Mind control

Whether Silva likes it or not, there will be a torrent of interest. Indeed, it’s begun already. But it hasn’t all been bad in almost a year with the attention diverted away from him. Silva opened up to FO to give a detailed account on what has been going on behind the scenes, the anguish he went through and how he has undergone sessions with a sports psychologist.

“Even though I had to go through some bad times and lost the title, I was able to find things that are more important to my personal life to be able to keep moving forward. I’m more centered now,” Silva says. 

“Am I a better fighter? I don’t know, but I am definitely more experienced. And also so much more patient.” He had no choice. As a fighter, he was forced to face his own mortality. “When my leg was broken, I was in a lot of pain. A lot of things were going through my mind.

“But, in relation to the loss, not at all. It’s a part of it. It’s not the first time I’ve lost. It was more because of the pain and not knowing what was going to happen to me. There was that scare right in the beginning but everything has worked out perfectly.”

As in almost anything The Spider puts his mind to, he wanted to understand in as much detail as possible what it was that had happened to his body in that second fight with Chris Weidman. He also examined his own mental state in sessions with a sports psychologist.

“It was fundamental for me to learn more about my body and to heal quicker. I had two sessions in LA with the sports psychologist. But after that I had to go back to Brazil to go back to training, I haven’t gone anymore. I’m going to get back to it when I’m back in Brazil,” he concedes. 

“It was more about my patience and to understand the reason why it was happening to me in that moment. I think everything that happened had to happen.” 

Ed Soares, Silva’s manager, who is constantly with him, tells FO: “I’m sure all those things go through your mind. Anderson is only human. Sure, he’s got this incredible record, and the fans see him as superhuman because of what he’s accomplished. But that doesn’t change the fact he’s human.

“He has fears and doubts like everybody else. As his friend and as his manager, I couldn’t have been more proud to be by his side for this fight. Anybody can be by someone’s side when the party’s good and they’re winning, but it’s really nice to be there and support him through these difficult times.” 

Talk amongst MMA’s chattering classes will inevitably turn to a trilogy fight at some point, should Silva come back and look spectacular in 2015. And MMA’s GOAT has no issue with crediting Weidman for his achievements. But the American’s body of work bears no resemblance, yet, to what the Brazilian achieved, and the manner in which he did it, during his eight-year championship reign.

“(Weidman) is a champion, he has to be respected and I have to continue doing my work. I was talking last night about that,” says Silva. “I was thinking about when I first started in the UFC – it’s a long time ago. I think I started in 2005 and from 2005 to 2013, when we lost the title, I fought without losing once.

“So, professionally, I’m happy with what I’ve been able to do. And everything I did was with love and without any pressure. I was never thinking about the title or anything like that.

“Everything has its time and its moment. If it happens to be (that time) again, then great (there will be a trilogy fight). If it doesn’t, it’s fine as well. I was able to get feats (achieve things) that few people will be able to do.

“I’m very proud of what I achieved. I did it with love and pride. There’s no doubt about anything I did in there, even in my losses.” 

The greatest

It’s been rare for Anderson to reflect on his body of work in a combat arena, but he says: “It’s not something I’ve always been observing, but I was talking yesterday about that. Man, everything I’ve done – all that time – but it’s not something I’m always thinking about.” 

Derek Kronig Lee, who works alongside Soares at ToughMedia Inc as one of Silva’s managers, and as translator for the UFC, explained: “He always said he’d have to retire to be able to look back at the things he’s done, in spite of so many people telling him he is the ‘Greatest of all Time’.

“I think he’s realized while he has been out through injury, that the belts change hands so much that he can and should look back at it and think, ‘Wow, I reigned for so long.’” 

The return, of course, comes against another of the most popular fighters making his own return to the Octagon – Nick Diaz. Unsurprisingly, Anderson has nothing but respect for the outspoken Stockton bad boy.

“I respect Nick Diaz a lot and I respect everything he’s done in this sport,” says Silva. “He’s a great athlete. He has his moments but he’s a guy I have nothing against. I hope he does everything with respect. I think we have to respect each other so that there’s a healthy competition in this sport. It is a sport.

Silva sincerely hopes the build-up will not be riddled with trash-talk. He’s had enough of that throughout the latter stages of his career: “I don’t expect anything too aggressive from him, especially as I think he’s more mature now and he thinks thoroughly about what he’s going to say,” he adds.

“But I’m a man and for people to be respected I think they need to respect others. It’s important that it’s from the both of us.” 

Although some are writing the fight off as a ‘warm-up’ for Silva, with Diaz coming up from 170lb, the Brazilian has great respect for the American, who always gives his all in the Octagon.

“He’s a complete fighter. He kicks, he punches, he’s got very good jiu-jitsu. His wrestling is reasonable. It’s going to be a cool fight. It’s interesting to me.”

“Two great guys who are coming back. He’s also spent some time without fighting. So I think it’s going to be a great fight... The real winners will be the fans. My fans, his fans and the UFC fans.” 

New frontier

Since ‘The Spider’ has been sidelined, TRT has been banned, Renan Barao’s 135lb reign ended, Wanderlei Silva and Chael Sonnen have both gone, and GSP is no longer an emeritus champion. Yet Anderson remains in the pound-for-pound list at number seven – one ahead of Ronda Rousey – and is still ranked as the number-one contender in the middleweight division. 

Silva has his own ideas of how the sport is changing: “This new generation coming in, especially in Brazil, have to be more professional in all aspects. It’s super important to realize the UFC is not summarized only in the fight itself. The UFC has a big extension – publicity, media and everything else.” 

Silva has his criticisms: “I would change a little bit the posture of the athletes in relation to how they carry themselves outside the fight. That is something I believe is super important not only in our sport but in every sport.” 

Along with the changing of the guard in terms of high profile UFC stars, José Aldo is the only Brazilian today with a UFC world title belt around his belt, something else that’s changed dramatically during Anderson’s rebuilding process. 

Again, the former champion has his own ideas as to what’s gone wrong with in the samba nation’s leading lights: “I think we’ve lost a little bit of the sport due 

to the lack of evolution. There needs to be evolution – always. I believe that Brazil has lagged behind a little bit in recent times.

“The athletes need to be more professional in relation to training and conditioning and technical knowledge, so that we can come back and get the results that we have always had in the sport.” 

As for the ‘official’ UFC rankings, Silva never studies them: “I didn’t even know I was in seventh place. I didn’t know I was on that list. But being seventh is good. People remember me. I wouldn’t have thought I’d even be on the list at this point though!” 

After dominating as the leading pound-for-pound fighter in MMA for so long, however, the obvious question is, can Anderson ever climb back on top. Yet, it’s the staple Silva backhand answer in reply. He’ll let his work in the Octagon do the talking.

“If God allows me to continue fighting and continue doing my job well, with good results, then it will just be a consequence of my work,” he attests. “There are a lot of great fighters out there right now. We have to see what the results will be to know what’s going to happen.” 

Back in the grind

Those in his team, behind the scenes, talk of Silva’s absolute dedication to getting back to his best again. They have also seen his struggles. Kronig Lee explains: “I’ve seen how it’s been for him to just get back to the form he’d like to be in. But the biggest struggle I saw was the change in him personally. He has changed a lot. You see a different Anderson.

“I was there at the hospital. I had to go to Singapore the next day, so I didn’t stay as long as I wanted to. Ed (Soares) was with him. It was rough when he was at the hospital. He was unsure of what was going to happen. Is it going to be a year? Two years? That’s something he always says – he’s going to fight until he loses that desire to go train and fight. Maybe he was thinking, who knows what I’m going to be like in a year or a year and a half?

“Fighters like Anderson become addicted to the adrenalin of having to go to the gym and train and having something to look forward to. For as long as he can have that, he’s going to want to fight. He’s going to want to have something to look forward to, a date in his mind.” 

By several people’s accounts, Silva’s family were crucial in his rehabilitation. While recovering in a rented home in LA as his townhouse wasn’t suitable, his sons pleaded with their father to call time on his career, so upset were they at seeing his leg broken. 

“Neither of them wanted me to fight anymore but it’s a wish I have and it’s my will,” he says. “They know it’s important for me. We always talk about this. It’s very important,” he says. 

Silva’s family, and his backroom staff, have clearly been the most critical people in his rehabilitation. It becomes clear over the course of this interview just how much the former UFC middleweight champ has relied on the support of his team. He uses ‘we’ rather than ‘I’ throughout the course of the conversation, lasting almost an hour. It speaks volumes.

“He does use ‘we’ a lot,” says a team-mate. “When ‘we’ were in the UFC, when ‘we’ had the belt. He sees it as a team effort.” And indeed, his team is always getting bigger and bigger. 

Silva’s team have been amazed at his mental strength during the recovery period. “He doesn’t show us everything he’s got, but he’s a lot stronger mentally than anyone thinks,” reveals Kronig Lee.

“I knew his leg was going to heal. He had surgery, he’s an athlete and bones grow back. I knew he was going to get better and walk again. But, obviously, the mental part is the hardest.” 

He adds: “The past year as a whole has been the most difficult period of his life. When he lost the belt it was definitely something he wasn’t expecting. Then he came back and was so motivated for that fight and was looking so good. For that to happen, I don’t know what I would think if I was going through that.” 

But in it all, there was a silver lining. “He was humbled by that defeat. He felt bad that he made a mistake in a fight. I remember being in the airport the next day, going back to LA, and he was upset at how the people in Brazil were turning on him. But that’s fans. It’s the same with any sport.

“Anderson is always a guy who is misunderstood, like Muhammad Ali or any great artist. People just don’t get it. But when he broke his leg it was like when an artist dies. His work goes up in value. Maybe people thought, ‘Wow, maybe we’re not going to see him fight anymore.’” 

But if Silva had any doubts about how his return would be received, or indeed whether the fans would miss him, in October he had that answered. The reaction, an outpouring almost, at the event in Rio in October, where Aldo held on the UFC featherweight crown against Chad Mendes, confirmed just how much love the Brazilians feel for the revered fighter. 

As Anderson walked out into the arena that night, you could ‘feel’ something special. It was like the return of the king. Silva appeared to cry. 

“Yes, in reality, I did cry. I was very emotional and happy to see the reaction and have that warm reception from the people in relation to what I built and what I did for this sport. I was very happy, very emotional. I was fulfilled,” he admits to FO.

TUF enough

Next year, with the filming of TUF, Silva’s media attention will again be at fever pitch. Yet Anderson refuses to get caught up in even his own media tailspin and is instead focussing on bringing everything he can to the role of coach. Ever the master.

“I believe it’s another step for me as a coach,” he explains. “I’m very happy about it. I hope I can pass on the reality of what it’s like to be a fighter. That is beginning.

“I’ve always been outspoken about TUF and things that happened in the house, but it’s an opportunity to change and show people the reality of the athletes who are really trying to go after their dreams.

“It’s two teams, two coaches with different mentalities. There are athletes looking for their place in the sun but they each have their own mind and there is a competition. It’s a bit complicated. I’m going to try and pass on my experience and try to show them calmness and mental discipline to get towards their objective.”

His team too believe it will be a ‘different’ Ultimate Fighter with Anderson involved. “He won’t take any s**t. If the guys have been partying and drinking and losing control, he won’t stand for it,” says Lee.

“He’ll come down hard on them. I’ve never seen Anderson drink a drop of alcohol for as long as I’ve known him. He walks the line.

“I don’t think people are going to mess him around. I mean, if you’ve got the chance to be on Anderson’s team on The Ultimate Fighter, at least take the two months and do it properly.” 

The story of The Spider, insists Soares, is as yet incomplete: “There’s still a lot more history Anderson’s going to make. This is just a new chapter in his career. He’s happy with his accomplishments, but I definitely feel he’s going to make history again. He will.” 

And the man himself? He relays with absolute seriousness he believes he can honor his new 15-fight contract. That’s the plan, he insists. 

“What motivates me is to do what I do best – which is to fight,” Anderson says. “What we were able to do was something very few people will be able to do. Maybe nobody will be able to do.

“I’m excited just to be able to train to fight again. For me, that’s the most important part. Currently that’s what makes me happy. And I’m very happy right now. Believe me – there’s a lot of Anderson left.”