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10-13-2006, 10:06 PM
Silva Quietly Prepares for War
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By Thomas Gerbasi
It’s an old fight game adage that the harder you work in the gym, the easier the fight gets. Anderson Silva must be a tireless gym rat then, because his last three wins, against Curtis Stout, Tony Fryklund, and Chris Leben, have seen him go just 4:59, 2:02, and 49 seconds. It’s not exactly the recipe for going 25 minutes against the best middleweight in the game, but Silva insists that he’s ready for war Saturday night against Rich Franklin.
“I am very well prepared for this fight,” said Silva through manager / translator Ed Soares. “I'm prepared to fight an hour and a half.”
That won’t be necessary, but just the fact that Silva is so confident in his cardio means that he is truly ready to upend the middleweight division in just his second UFC fight. He’s unconcerned with the pressure that comes with such an event though.
“I don't feel that much more pressure for this fight,” he said. “I'm used to this type of pressure.”
He’s probably right. A longtime competitor in Japan, Brazil, and England, Silva has always had the type of style that made fans sit up and take notice, and having fought in big events against UFC veterans Mach Sakurai, Carlos Newton, Jeremy Horn, and Jorge Rivera, among others, means that he’s used to the spotlight.
But he’s never done it in the US before his June headlining gig against Chris Leben, who was being groomed for a title shot and seen as the type of rock-chinned competitor that would give Silva a sturdy test in his Octagon debut. He didn’t, getting stopped in 49 electrifying seconds by Silva that gathered the Curitiba native a legion of Stateside fans in one fell swoop.
“The American fans have been great,” said Silva, “but I was a bit surprised in the beginning.”
He shouldn’t have been. A fearsome striker with a mix of speed, power, accuracy, and footwork that is rare in mixed martial arts, Silva has a crowd-pleasing style to say the least. But perhaps even more important, he, like Franklin, is ferocious in the Octagon and a cl*** act outside of it.
“Both Rich and I are professionals,” said Silva. “When it's time to fight it's time to take care of business. Whoever has prepared for this fight the best will win.”
And despite Franklin’s 22-1 record and dominant reign atop the 185-pound division thus far, there are more than a few who believe that Silva has the right stuff to end that reign. That type of talent doesn’t come naturally, but only with years and years of training. But for Silva, making prizefighting his profession wasn’t a conscious decision.
“I've been fighting since I was a kid,” said Silva. “I never really thought of it as a way of making a living. I feel very fortunate to able to make a living from something I love to do.”
That love comes out every time you see him open up and let his hands, feet, and knees go. Again, it was something he believes came with practice, not birth.
“I started to notice the power that I have after I started refining my techniques,” he said. “That's when I realized that I can knock people out.”
Ten of Silva’s 16 wins have come via TKO or KO, with the rest coming mainly by decision. And though he only has one submission victory, don’t pigeonhole him as a one-dimensional banger, as he was recently awarded his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt by Antonio Rodrigo and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, two of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners (and fighters) in the world.
“It was a very great honor to receive my Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu, especially receiving it from the Nogueira Brothers,” said Silva. “Not only are they my sparring partners, but they are also my very good friends.”
So could UFC fans be surprised come October 14th?
“I think every time I fight people will be surprised.”
Frankly, no true fight fan will be shocked if Anderson Silva can capture lightning in a bottle and upset the champion on Saturday night. He’s that good. Then again, so is Franklin, so this is one fight for the ages that will undoubtedly live up to its advance billing. He’s not counting the victory before his hand is raised though.
“At this time I haven't thought about it at all,” admits Silva when asked if he’s pictured himself wearing the championship belt. “I’m going to wait until after the fight, so I can live it.”
source ([Only registered and activated users can see links])
UFC 64 Black T-Shirt
Related Products
UFC 64 Grey T-Shirt
Related News
All Fighters Make Weight at UFC 64 Weigh in
Two Titles on the Line Tomorrow Night at UFC 64
Rich Franklin - Back to Work
Sherk, Florian usher in new era of lightweights
Rich Franklin vs Anderson Silva Pre Fight Interview at UFC 64
By Thomas Gerbasi
It’s an old fight game adage that the harder you work in the gym, the easier the fight gets. Anderson Silva must be a tireless gym rat then, because his last three wins, against Curtis Stout, Tony Fryklund, and Chris Leben, have seen him go just 4:59, 2:02, and 49 seconds. It’s not exactly the recipe for going 25 minutes against the best middleweight in the game, but Silva insists that he’s ready for war Saturday night against Rich Franklin.
“I am very well prepared for this fight,” said Silva through manager / translator Ed Soares. “I'm prepared to fight an hour and a half.”
That won’t be necessary, but just the fact that Silva is so confident in his cardio means that he is truly ready to upend the middleweight division in just his second UFC fight. He’s unconcerned with the pressure that comes with such an event though.
“I don't feel that much more pressure for this fight,” he said. “I'm used to this type of pressure.”
He’s probably right. A longtime competitor in Japan, Brazil, and England, Silva has always had the type of style that made fans sit up and take notice, and having fought in big events against UFC veterans Mach Sakurai, Carlos Newton, Jeremy Horn, and Jorge Rivera, among others, means that he’s used to the spotlight.
But he’s never done it in the US before his June headlining gig against Chris Leben, who was being groomed for a title shot and seen as the type of rock-chinned competitor that would give Silva a sturdy test in his Octagon debut. He didn’t, getting stopped in 49 electrifying seconds by Silva that gathered the Curitiba native a legion of Stateside fans in one fell swoop.
“The American fans have been great,” said Silva, “but I was a bit surprised in the beginning.”
He shouldn’t have been. A fearsome striker with a mix of speed, power, accuracy, and footwork that is rare in mixed martial arts, Silva has a crowd-pleasing style to say the least. But perhaps even more important, he, like Franklin, is ferocious in the Octagon and a cl*** act outside of it.
“Both Rich and I are professionals,” said Silva. “When it's time to fight it's time to take care of business. Whoever has prepared for this fight the best will win.”
And despite Franklin’s 22-1 record and dominant reign atop the 185-pound division thus far, there are more than a few who believe that Silva has the right stuff to end that reign. That type of talent doesn’t come naturally, but only with years and years of training. But for Silva, making prizefighting his profession wasn’t a conscious decision.
“I've been fighting since I was a kid,” said Silva. “I never really thought of it as a way of making a living. I feel very fortunate to able to make a living from something I love to do.”
That love comes out every time you see him open up and let his hands, feet, and knees go. Again, it was something he believes came with practice, not birth.
“I started to notice the power that I have after I started refining my techniques,” he said. “That's when I realized that I can knock people out.”
Ten of Silva’s 16 wins have come via TKO or KO, with the rest coming mainly by decision. And though he only has one submission victory, don’t pigeonhole him as a one-dimensional banger, as he was recently awarded his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt by Antonio Rodrigo and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, two of the best jiu-jitsu practitioners (and fighters) in the world.
“It was a very great honor to receive my Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu, especially receiving it from the Nogueira Brothers,” said Silva. “Not only are they my sparring partners, but they are also my very good friends.”
So could UFC fans be surprised come October 14th?
“I think every time I fight people will be surprised.”
Frankly, no true fight fan will be shocked if Anderson Silva can capture lightning in a bottle and upset the champion on Saturday night. He’s that good. Then again, so is Franklin, so this is one fight for the ages that will undoubtedly live up to its advance billing. He’s not counting the victory before his hand is raised though.
“At this time I haven't thought about it at all,” admits Silva when asked if he’s pictured himself wearing the championship belt. “I’m going to wait until after the fight, so I can live it.”
source ([Only registered and activated users can see links])