Issue 103

July 2013

Fighters Only spoke to some of the most respected industry insiders, trainers and coaches – men who create the fighters we admire – and asked them to marvel at the Brazilian’s silky, natural abilities. We had them try and explain why Silva is so good, what they see in him, to break down what he does brilliantly, and what they tell their fighters to study about him. Their collective analysis is astounding…

Rodrigo ‘Minotauro’ Nogueira, training partner and coach to Silva

“Anderson is super talented, versatile and very calm. He does things that other fighters don’t expect; he always surprises and presents new techniques. He imposes a tough rhythm in fights and increases it as a bout develops. He takes risks, and he innovates.” 

Rogerio ‘Minotoro’ Nogueira, training partner of ‘The Spider’

“The guy is a genius. He is also privileged physically, has a strong punch, works so well in the clinch using his knees, absorbs attacks and hits so hard. I like his coldness. Anderson has an incredible mental game. He can mess up the opponent in a way that I’ve never seen another fighter do.”

Eric Del Fierro, Team Alliance head coach

“Anderson Silva is a true martial artist, always a professional in and out of the cage. Very respectful and disciplined, Anderson has demonstrated a skillset above anyone in his weight class. He’s considered one of the greatest ever through his mastery of almost every aspect of the fight. He has beaten grapplers, wrestlers, strikers and has done it with relative ease. The sport of MMA keeps evolving every year, and every year we see stronger and faster more well-rounded martial artists. But Anderson is one of the few fighters who has evolved with the sport and remained on top of his weight class. He has held the UFC belt since 2006. That in itself is amazing.” 

Duane Ludwig, Team Alpha Male head coach

“Silva has reached the state of being able to access the ‘zone’ at will. Most know it as the zone, but the Japanese call it ‘mushin,’ which is to have no thought, no mind while performing physical activity. And it becomes greatness when the physical activity is expressed during battle or competition.”

Jacob "Stitch" Duran, cutman

“Anderson always has me wrap his hands before his fights in the UFC. I missed one of his fights, and I got to know about it. He’s one of the very special fighters who is so relaxed and on another level in the dressing room before his fights. I went in there one day and he was lying on the floor watching the fights on the monitor with his sons like they were at home watching TV. He is up there with Randy Couture, for calmness before a fight. They seem to have this great ability just to change when the cage door closes.” 

Andre Pederneiras, head trainer at Nova Uniao

“What sets him apart, his biggest differential is his calm approach and, obviously, his phenomenal technique. People can learn from him how to behave in difficult situations.”

Joe Pomfret, Lauzon MMA head coach

“In professional sport, one athlete will come along who defines what it means to be truly great in that respective field – and can make even the most violent sport look graceful and fluid. Soccer had Pele, basketball had Michael Jordan, boxing had Muhammad Ali, ice hockey had Wayne Gretzky and football boasted Barry Sanders. Watch any Anderson Silva highlight and it seems as if someone is pressing a fast-forward button for him, while another is pushing the slow button on his opponents. He doesn’t do anything different that one would learn in the first six months in basic MMA training: jab, right cross, Thai clinch, front kick, head movement, roundhouse kick, and so on. But he uses the basics at the most advanced level ever.”

Jason Parillo, boxing coach, has worked with Anderson Silva

“Athletically, he’s just different to a lot of guys. He’s able to make that 185lb weight class, but has a large frame and knows how to use it. But it’s like that with all the skills he was given, he knows how to use them. He also gets away with some things, like Mike Tyson did with his natural power. But you can’t emulate them. Silva does things the Silva way.”  

Duke Roufus, head coach at Roufusport

“He’s very well-rounded, especially in the striking department. He understands striking for MMA. He has blended Muay Thai, kickboxing and boxing, as well as the old-school martial arts like taekwondo and has a great formula. His timing is incredible. He’s a studied guy. He dissects opponents, and has great footwork and command of ranges; everything he does is what fighters should aspire to. He’s been an inspiration and a resource for me as I got serious about MMA. I still don’t think he gets enough credit for what he does as a striker in MMA. If you watch his documentary Like Water it’s beautiful. He is always fighting with his eyes, has a high fighter IQ and is always observing.”  

Greg Nelson, The Academy head coach

“He embodies Bruce Lee’s philosophy: ‘Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, and add what is specifically your own.’ He is an expert in range and timing, which allows him to hit his opponents seemingly at will. The simplicity and accuracy of his attacks, accentuated by his timing, make him very difficult to stop. In addition, he’s mastered attacks at every range: kicking, boxing and clinch, and blends them brilliantly. Nor does he fight himself in the cage. He’s not directed by anything other than his own desire to perform and win.”

Tim Credeur, Gladiator Academy head coach

“Anderson has a natural capacity and a natural willingness and confidence level to try things in a fight that many people wouldn’t even attempt in practice. That’s a dangerous level of confidence to be up against – someone willing to try those things with all the chips on the table. His confidence to pull off the unexpected is just so impressive.”

Freddie Roach, boxing coach to multiple world champions, including Manny Pacquiao

“He understands distance and timing; he fights off the ropes – like James Toney did. I don’t ask my fighters to study him... you have to be yourself. You can’t clone people. There is nothing I would change about him: he’s a complete fighter.”

John Crouch, The MMA Lab head coach

“There are many things that go into making a fighter as complete and dominant as Anderson Silva. The main thing that separates him is his great sense of timing and distance. While it’s possible to develop these skills, Anderson seems to possess an uncanny ability to make people miss and be in range to hit them back. He makes it look effortless and it’s one of the main weapons that make him the greatest MMA fighter.”

Daniel Woirin, Dan Henderson’s Muay Thai coach, used to work with Anderson

“He is a person with a gift. He’s disciplined and dedicated to training. All of these elements combined make him a unique fighter. I don’t see anybody beating him. We’ve so much to learn from him. He’s got an incredible history. It was so hard to get where he is now. He never surrenders. Nobody is perfect and there is always something to be learned. When a fighter thinks he knows everything, it’s the beginning of the end; but in Anderson Silva’s case, it is different. He’s already reached the highest level and I think the biggest issue for him is to keep his motivation in order to avoid losing his goals.”

Edmond Tarverdyan, Ronda Rousey’s head coach

“Anderson makes all fighters dance under his music. He’s so focused and relaxed, he always does what he wants and never lets opponents dictate a fight. He has everything. He uses a lot of the things that a lot of people know, but cannot use. The reason is he’s very strong-minded. In MMA, timing is very important. It’s very hard to take a lot of shots with small gloves, it’s not like boxing. And Anderson Silva is very accurate with his striking.”

Kenny Monday, 1988 Olympic gold medalist and wrestling coach at Blackzilians

“More than anything, his confidence, demeanor and his command of the Octagon really stand out to me. He has that presence, because of an extraordinary skill-set, and deep experience. He’s never overwhelmed in big fights. He fights within himself, and he understands and knows where his strengths and weaknesses are. A lot of fighters don’t know themselves, but it’s crucial you understand who you are. His takedown defense could be better – he can be taken down by a commanding wrestler, but he also uses his length well and has good leverage, like Jon Jones. He has the ability to stretch out, get long and step or jump out of a takedown attempt.”  

Rashad Evans, former UFC light heavyweight champion

“Anderson is so good because he has the perfect balance between risk and fighting smart. More than anything he doesn’t fight himself. Most fighters – myself included – fight ourselves as well as our opponent. If I could add anything to my game it would be his mindset when he competes. He is my favorite fighter to watch.”

Mike Brown, American Top Team coach

“Silva is a truly gifted fighter, probably pound-for-pound the best on the planet. By ‘gifted’ I mean he has an ability he was born with that simply can’t be taught. He has amazing timing, range, and reflexes for stand-up fighting. I don’t think every fighter can develop the same way Anderson has but they can take on his attitude toward breaking the mold and being creative inside the cage. His style is not rigid; he has an incredible ability to adapt on the fly.”

Bertrand Amoussou, coach to Karl Amoussou, and president of the French MMA Federation

“Anderson Silva knows how to handle pressure; he is very smart, and very relaxed and creative. Actually, he doesn’t go into a fight to fight you; he goes in there to dance you. We all have a room with different kinds of weapons. Some fighters have few; his room is full.”

Firas Zahabi, primary trainer, Tristar Gym

“I think it’s his ability to be so elusive while at the same time he is able to be extremely offensive. A true master of the Muhammad Ali formula: float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”

Ryan Parsons, Reign MMA coach and Radius SM CEO

“What sets Anderson apart isn’t just skill, he has mastered the mental and emotional aspects of competition. Remaining a UFC champion demands the ability to control and direct their emotional state and focus under intense pressure. Not only in the cage, but also how they choose to respond to the stress and distractions that come with fame, money, media and everything else.”

John Hackleman, The Pit head coach

“Anderson Silva’s biggest strength is his timing. He is also very creative, and he thinks and performs outside the box. And besides the fact he’s very well rounded, he puts everything together and the icing on the cake is he has one-punch knockout power moving in any direction. He’s definitely a phenom.”

Five reasons why 'The Spider' is the greatest

By Ricky Lundell, University of Grappling head coach

1. Studies Opponents

“Anderson does everything for a reason. He studies your reactions better than any other fighter in the Octagon. Sometimes it will be minutes before he throws his first set of strikes. He takes that time to study and learn his opponent. And because of this ability to learn a rival’s movements so quickly from the start he’s able to set you up later in the fight, as well as anticipate movements.”

2. Always Has A Reason

“He is not a reactive fighter; he’s proactive with every movement. Whether it’s a fake or an actual attack, everything is done for a reason. He doesn’t wait for your mistake – he forces it.”

3. Finishing Style

“Anderson’s techniques are all based around finishing fights by knockout or submission. His techniques are not based around winning via judges’ decisions. Because of this he’s dangerous every second of the fight and is able to defeat an opponent in devastating fashion.” 

4. Ranges and Transitions

“He understands all of the MMA ranges, and knows how to use each range’s strength to his advantage. From kickboxing to boxing, boxing to clinching, clinching/wrestling to jiu-jitsu, Anderson is able to seamlessly adjust to the proper and deadliest techniques for the range he’s in. Most fighters have trouble in these transitions, but Anderson has mastered them.”

5. Composure

“Anderson stays composed under pressure. He’s relaxed from the first second until the last. His opponents have placed him into the worst positions in MMA, yet he stays relaxed and composed which allows him to think through every movement without making mistakes. This relaxed fighting style is also incredible for his energy conservation. He doesn’t use unnecessary energy and has never gassed because of it.”