Anderson Silva Is Returning To The Octagon To Face Israel "Stylebender" Adesanya Next Year And Here's Why That Is So Awesome
Just before the fight of the century – Chuck Liddell vs Tito Ortiz III – began, Brett Okamoto of ESPN announced the highly anticipated return of two fighters to the octagon. And as it turns out…they just so happen to be facing each other, in Melbourne, Australia this upcoming February!
It’ll be the new guard vs the old when Israel “Stylebender” Adesanya – who has taken the mixed martial arts world by storm in 2018 – faces off with Anderson “The Spider” Silva at UFC 234, and that’s a fucking awesome matchup. Both are obviously flashy, dynamic strikers, Adesanya is probably the closest thing the UFC currently has to a prime Spider in his style/execution of the mixed martial arts, and Anderson’s name value is going to bring so many eyes to a rising phenomenon it’s nuts!
Still, though, MMA fans found routes and avenues to complain about this, and pick holes in the matchmaking ability of the UFC…
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Here’s the thing – Anderson Silva ain’t in his prime anymore. We all know that’s long gone, especially post-USADA. But he also isn’t Chuck Liddell, you know? People are out here asking The Spider to get some kinda special treatment coming off a suspension because they’re afraid the elderly man is going to get hurt in there? Y’all, he’s Anderson Silva!!! Give the man some credit. Even if Stylebender absolutely SLEEPS Silva, which I believe he will, I truly don’t think we’re talking about these massive health risks or anything. This fight is putting eyes on the guy who could be the UFC’s next big star, and it’s giving him a VERY favorable matchup, and that’s what is important right now at the close of 2018.
Not to mention, this is quite literally: the fight game. There’s a changing of the guard that happens when the new meets the old, and here we just get to see it happen literally, in a cage. It’s the shit of fairytales, gladiators, I mean TRUE “King of the Jungle” type shit Conor McGregor has spoken about. And I’m down.
WAR STYLEBENDER.
P.S. If you’re not following him already, it’s time to follow Brett Okamoto. In my opinion, he’s the best journalist in the sport, and I promise you won’t regret it. I’ve met him on a few occasions now as well and he couldn’t have been kinder. Awesome dude.