At UFC 168 in December 2013, Anderson Silva suffered one of the nastiest injuries ever witnessed in the UFC. A checked left kick simultaneously snapped his tibia and fibula, instantly ending his rematch with Chris Weidman. Silva’s anguished screams were haunting as many predicted that the former Middleweight kingpin had fought for the final time. “The Spider” would however defy these fears, returning to the Octagon after only 13 months. His opponent? The polarizing cult hero, the former Strikeforce and WEC Welterweight champion Nick Diaz.
Many predicted that Silva would handily dispatch Diaz, swiftly finishing him with some sort of showreel masterstroke that has made the Brazilian so popular over the years. This ultimately didn’t happen, but Silva’s return can be considered a rousing success; he took the best of Diaz’s smothering attack, threw his left leg kicks as if he’d never injured it in the first place and despite his advanced age, looked like he hadn’t missed a step. This wasn’t about finishing Diaz, it was all about Silva proving to the world that he still has what it takes to compete with the best the world has to offer.
As expected Diaz played the role of villain, trash talking and showing nothing but disdain for his opponent over the duration of their 5 round encounter. It’s a part that Diaz usually excels at, but Silva refused to be drawn into these mind games and stayed calm and composed, his full attention focused on executing his gameplan. Utilising superior striking and range was instrumental to Silva’s eventual unanimous decision victory with two of the three judges giving him the nod in each of the five rounds. A triumphant and safe return for Silva whose refusal to react to Diaz’s relentless clowning may be a sign that “The Spider” will be a little more cautious, humble even, in future bouts.
Woodley “Chosen One” To Defeat Gastelum
The youngest winner of The Ultimate Fighter must regret the decision not to bring in a dietitian for his encounter with fellow Welterweight contender Tyron Woodley. Weighing in at ten pounds over the 170 pound division limit, Kelvin Gastelum desperately needed to perform over expectation to potentially change chairman Dana White’s order for him to move up to Middleweight, a division that he will not likely experience the same success in. Unfortunately for him, and the audience, he was unable to achieve that however as Woodley weathered a smattering of power shots en-route to a insipid split decision victory. With his undefeated record in tatters, Gastelum will need to learn big from this first loss. His inevitable return to Middleweight might make, or break his still promising career. For Woodley however, this disappointing performance will do him no favours in a rejuvenated division.
“Raging” Iaquinta Blasts Past Lauzon
New York’s Al Iaquinta continued his surge up the Lightweight division rankings, smashing longtime division staple Joe Lauzon with a barrage of unprotected punches just over halfway through their 3 round bout. Dismissing Lauzon’s impressive ground game and underrated striking in the first frame, Iaquinta (Now 11-3-1, 6-2 UFC) remained patient and eventually had the veteran reeling with a potent straight right followed by the match ending flurry of blows. Lauzon however lived up to his long established reputation as one of the UFC’s toughest competitors, refusing to go down in the face of his adversary’s onslaught. Almost a full minute of unnecessary punishment was allowed before official Marc Goddard, audibly prompted by Dana White, stepped in to mercifully end the fight, pushing Iaquinta closer to a future crack at a top 10 ranked opponent.
Leites Overcomes ‘Barbaric’ Onslaught
Thales Leites extended his winning streak to eight fights as he survived Tim Boetsch’s damaging punching power, stopping “The Barbarian” in the second round with an expertly applied arm triangle choke. Boetsch’s bread and butter has long been his power and he was able to put a beating on his Brazilian opponent for the majority of the bout. Leites, bloodied and suffering from some major facial swelling, knew he would have to revert back to his renowned jiu-jitsu game after being rocked early in the second. Securing a takedown and moving quickly into a mounted position, Leites broke Boetsch’s determination and rendered him unconscious soon after applying his favourite choke for the second time. Leites (25-4, 10-3 UFC) has now whittled off five straight victories inside the Octagon. The last time he achieved that feat he faced Anderson Silva for the Middlewight championship.
Alves Resurgent
Thiago Alves registered his second victory since returning from major injury, dismissing Canadian slugger Jordan Mein with a stiff body kick and punches early in the second round. Mein started very brightly, battering his opponent with punishing combinations that had the Brazilian reeling for the majority of their show opening duel. Alves soon reminded us of the skills that once saw him fight for the Welterweight title however as he caught Mein with the fight ending kick to the solar plexus to instantly turn the tide against his young adversary. Long suffering from a number of injuries, Alves (Now 21-9, 13-6 UFC) has recorded back-to-back victories for the first time in seven years, and seems set to make one final run at the division's elite.
UFC 183 Main Card Results:
Middleweight
Anderson Silva def Nick Diaz via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
Welterweight
Tyron Woodley def Kelvin Gastelum* via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
Lightweight
Al Iaquinta def Joe Lauzon via TKO (punches) in round 2
Middleweight
Thales Leites def Tim Boetsch via technical submission (arm triangle) in round 2
Welterweight
Thiago Alves def Jordan Mein via TKO (body kick and punches) in round 2
*Gastelum weighed in at 180 pounds, 10 pounds over the limit.
Event Awards:
Best Fight: Thales Leites vs. Tim Boetsch
Best Finish: Thiago Alves
MVP: Thales Leites
