Anderson Silva
Age: 34
Record: 24-4
Anderson “The Spider” Silva is the pound-for-pound king in the UFC, although his reputation has taken a hit after a disappointing performance at UFC 97.

There is no doubting Silva’s skills in the Octagon but since he didn’t decapitate the last two fighters he faced, a lot of people aren’t happy with the entertainment value garnered from his pay-per-views.

Silva danced for a while with Patrick Cote at UFC 90 before Cote sustained a horrible knee injury, then danced for a full five rounds with Thales Leites, who essentially didn’t want to fight with Silva.

While there haven’t been fireworks in his last couple of fights, he’s still one of the best in the business and against any fighter who actually wants to fight, Silva will prove that.

Fight With Forrest Griffin At UFC 101
The difference between Forrest Griffin and Thales Leites is that Griffin isn’t a tap dancer. While Leites was content to just stay on the outside and wait for an opportunity to present itself, Griffin is going to go in like a bull and create his own opportunities.

In the grand scheme of things, Leites strategy might actually be better.

Any fighter who’s attacked Silva hasn’t fared very well. Silva is more of a reactionary fighter and with his lightning quick reflexes, his opponents don’t stand much of a chance when they attack and whiff.

Griffin’s in-your-face style is going to end up with lots of fists in his face. Silva has created quite the legacy with some devastating knockouts and there is no doubt that with Griffin’s attacking style, this fight will end in a knockout.

The fact of the matter is that Silva hits harder and moves faster, which is basically all it will take for him to win this fight. He’s clearly the better fighter.

After UFC 101

Considering Silva is jumping up 20 pounds to fight Griffin, it’s pretty clear what the UFC is angling to do: set up a bout with George St. Pierre.

Silva is the biggest favorite on the board at UFC 101 and even before the fight has happened, already people are talking about Silva’s next fight.

It’s hard to see Silva losing this fight but if he does, look for him to get a rematch. In all likelihood, though, look for him to move onto bigger and better things after declaring himself the best in the business again.

This information is provided in partnership with BetUs Sportsbook

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