SPORTSSHERDOG
Sherdog.com Home
News Blog Videos Sherdog Radio Pictures MMA Statistics Sherdog Forums Sherdog Store
Fight Finder

  First Name
  Last Name
  Nick Name
Articles Quicklinks
» Let It Reign: Handicapping UFC Champions
» Sherdog Official Mixed Martial Arts Rankings
» Huerta Enters Free Agency
» UFC 106 Analysis: The Main Card
» 'Minotoro' a Monster in UFC Debut
» The Weekly Wrap: Nov. 14 - Nov. 20
» UFC 106 Preview: The Prelims
» Pros Pick: Ortiz vs. Griffin 2
» Name Value
» Sherdog's Guide to 'The Ultimate Fighter 10'
Silva Fixing ‘Defects,’ Still Aiming to Entertain
 Options: | Printer Friendly
Silva Fixing ‘Defects,’ Still Aiming to Entertain
Friday, March 27, 2009
by Gleidson Venga (gvenga@sherdog.com)

Wanderlei Silva has lost four of his last five fights, and you wouldn’t have wanted to miss a single one of them.

The Axe Murderer’s dominant days are done, but he still brings it in the cage. His most recent performance wasn’t one of his best. It ended decisively, like most of his matches win or lose, when Quinton Jackson knocked him out 3:21 into the first round of their Dec. 27 bout at UFC 92.

“I lost my last fight by a technical error, an error that I’ve committed for a long time,” Silva said. “I paid so much for it. I lost six months of work due to throwing open punches and took a punch on the chin.”

To correct the error, Silva, 32, has returned to the basics. He has worked on his jab, footwork and takedowns.

“On top of that base, I hope to get rid of some defects, such as exposing myself too much,” he said. “Sometimes I fight with my heart, then I open myself way too much. I'm trying to fix this and be aggressive in the same way, but in a more technical and more secure way. They are vices that I have had for too long and are not easy to correct. Because when the adrenaline hits and you start to give and take punches, you go on instinct. So, where possible, I'm structuring myself to leave these vices and acquire a new and more refined technique, to adapt to this new time of MMA and head back to the top because this is what I want. I’ll really show a different game now in the next fight.”

The next fight for Silva is June 13 in Cologne, Germany. He’ll meet Rich Franklin in the UFC 99 main event.

Photo by Sherdog.com

Wanderlei Silva respects
Rich Franklin's ability.
“The fights I had seen of his before were only against Anderson Silva, and he could not show much because Anderson dominated him completely. But now I have the other fights to study and saw that he is a complete fighter who knows how to take down, fight standing on the feet, has good takedown defense and is well rounded in submissions. I think he's a great opponent. He’s a tough guy, and I’m training a lot, everyday, sparring.”

Franklin is yet another quality opponent for Silva, who’s fought only top-notch opposition since his return to the Octagon. His stint so far has included Jackson, Keith Jardine and Chuck Liddell. At that level of competition, you’re going to lose some fights. Losing or winning, however, isn’t everything to Silva.

“I want to be tested until my limit,” he said. “I want to face the best and always provide a good show for my fans. Sometimes I am criticized because of this. Of course we always want to win, and train for it, but I also care about the quality of my performance. I want to provide a great spectacle for those who are at home. A lot of people came and said, especially after that last fight, that I must retire. I am very young and I still have something to show. I listen to people, [when] I enter the Octagon, saying, ‘We will watch this because this will be a good fight.’ While people keep saying that, I will continue fighting.”

Delivering a quality show would seem to be of particular importance against Franklin. The fight is the marquee bout in the UFC’s first foray into Germany.

“I will not do bad. I know my responsibility,” Silva said. “They gave me a good guy with an aggressive style of fighting, who likes to go forward. I do not run away from the challenge, do not run away from the game. I get it. I’ll show all my heart, all my technique and make a great show for everybody. I will be there to knock out or be knocked out.”
 

More UFC 99 News
RELATED NEWS:
German Media Reacts to UFC 99
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
UFC 99 Notebook: Silva Pleads for Rematch
Sunday, June 14, 2009
UFC 99 Post-Mortem: New Questions
Sunday, June 14, 2009
UFC 99 Post-Mortem: Awards
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Franklin Bests Silva on Points
Sunday, June 14, 2009
UFC 99 Play-by-Play
Sunday, June 14, 2009
RECENT WANDERLEI SILVA NEWS:
One on One with Wanderlei Silva
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Akiyama Names Silva as Next Opponent
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Wanderlei: Anderson Would ‘Destroy’ Belfort
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Silvas Wanderlei, Anderson Could Train Together
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
UFC 103 Post-Mortem: Belfort, Daley Issue Statements
Monday, September 21, 2009
Silvas Reunited: Wanderlei, Anderson Patch It Up
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Search News Archive:   November 2009     October 2009     September 2009    
Sherdog.com, A property of CraveOnline, a division of AtomicOnline, LLC.
© 2009 CraveOnline Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Privacy Policy | Terms of Use | RSS | Mobile | Advertise
Not in any way associated with Crave Entertainment, Inc.