Issue 105
September 2013
In This Month
The history of mixed martial arts retold through the pages from FO’s archives
September 2011
Future UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva has received both love and hate from fans during his seven-year middleweight title reign
Anderson Silva hasn’t always had an unconditionally positive relationship with MMA’s followers. Today he’s cherished, but timid and/or obstructive UFC middleweight title defenses against Patrick Cote, Thales Leites and Demian Maia between 2008 and 2010 turned love to hate.
Former boosters booed his apparent choice to not finish fights even when opportunities appeared to present themselves, and bemoaned his practice of seemingly intentionally making an example of the disparity in skill between himself and the opponents he was paired with. He’d forgotten his primary task was to entertain the fans, the public said.
And Silva gave the love right back, telling media in 2009: “At the end of the day, yeah, I’m there for the fans, but I’m the one who’s putting my body and my life in danger every time I step inside the Octagon. So, a lot of times when people aren’t as educated in this sport, it’s really hard for them to understand. I feel I went in there and did my job, and if people are booing, it’s from a lack of understanding of the sport, because I went out there and executed a good game plan, it was just unfortunate that my opponents didn’t fight back.”
The aforementioned trio of bouts was split by a for-the-fans goodwill-boosting first-round stoppage of Forrest Griffin at UFC 101, in part set up to try and do just that. Although it addressed some of the damage, even two years later and after attempts to communicate how he’d been misunderstood, when Silva spoke to Fighters Only for our first Brazil Issue, his comments still suggested an undertone of frustration.
“The fans are fans,” he told FO in the September 2011 issue. “They’re cheering you one minute; they’re booing you the next minute. A lot of times, fans are the greatest thing ever. But sometimes fans don’t really understand what’s happening in the ring at times. So, I don’t really blame them for reacting in some of the ways they do.”
Which differs from the present day. In speaking to New York Post recently about his future acting plans, he mentioned: “I want to be as good at acting as I am as a fighter. I want the fans to enjoy that as much as they enjoy me fighting.”
The change is echoed in his current retirement plans. Just a few years ago, Silva was talking about punching his time card for the final time in three or four fights’ time. He recently signed a new 10-fight deal with the UFC.
Perhaps it’s because he’s finally received the appreciation and understanding he always desired. ‘The Spider’ has been the talisman for MMA’s recent surge in interest in Brazil. Endorsements, appearances and celebrity-level attention have followed. The fans are back in love with Anderson, and he is back in love with them.
NOSTRADAMMAUS:
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM
Fighters Only managed to predict the future yet again in the September 2011 issue. This time it was Brazil’s MMA mega boom following what was then the upcoming UFC 134 in Rio. “In many ways MMA is returning to its spiritual home. We can expect a great outpouring of emotion. Along with the World Cup in soccer going to Brazil, the Olympics and Paralympics heading to Rio in 2016, it could be the beginning of a Golden Age decade for the place, the people and sport.”
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