Anderson Silva vs Nick Diaz – Putting the Super in Superfight
By Christopher Jester
Two of the biggest names in fighting return to the Octagon on January 31st. Anderson Silva and Nick Diaz will grace fans with a superfight that makes little sense ranking rise, but makes perfect sense right now at this time in their careers. These two fighters have been at the top for so long, that realistically making them fight their way back up the rankings seems ridiculous. But matching them against one another shows that superfights don’t always have to be about ranks or hurdles in weight classes. Sometimes it is about who it is and when is the most opportune moment to put the fight together.
This bout has been a long time rumored. After both fighters showed interest in fighting one another earlier in the year, it seemed more so a fan’s dream that this fight would be put together. Even though this always appeared to be the fight that could lure Diaz back into the fold. But one can never know with the ever enigmatic Diaz as to what he is thinking and what could pull him back into the Octagon.
With both fighters coming off of losses in championship fights, Silva versus Diaz has the necessary pull to make this fight matter. Silva is widely known at the GOAT and Diaz is a rare breed to put it mildly. But even if these two were not just fights removed from title shots, they still would be perfect opposite one another.
These are two rare fighters, both with skill sets that make fights exciting. Silva is an elusive opportunist with striking accuracy that seem superhuman. Diaz is aggressive and a brawler who looks to apply pressure to break the best of fighters. This could make for one of the best fights in a very long time; an instant classic.
However, the biggest story out of this is not centered on Nick Diaz. The focus will remain solely on Anderson Silva throughout the build up to the fight and even after. The results of the fight will tell us what will happen to the legacy of Silva. Will this be a comeback story of the ages? Returning from such a gruesome injury is tough for any fighter, but will it become a stigma to his history? Only time will tell, but you better believe the media is going to eat it up for the time being.
Title or not, division relevancy or not – Silva versus Diaz is just downright fun. There is a lot on the line for both fighters, but it does signify a turning point in both of their careers and for the UFC. Can they return to their winning ways? Has the UFC found its ingredient to make superfights? This is a fight that is relevant right now because it is a fight that the fans want to see and that we must see to ultimately fulfill our own matchmaking fantasies.
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