Wanderlei Silva vs. Rashad Evans UFC Preview: When an Axe Murderer takes on a TUF Champion
By Robert Rousseau
Word is that fresh off of his stunning first round knockout of Keith Jardine, Wanderlei Silva may soon have the opportunity to take on undefeated former TUF Champion, Rashad Evans. In fact, the winner may be getting a title shot against the Forrest Griffin vs. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson victor.
Or at least that's what SubFighter.com is reporting.
So here's the question-what should be people be looking out for if and when a Wanderlei Silva vs. Rashad Evans match takes place?
That's what Submit To MMA aims to tell you.
Wanderlei Silva ( 32-8-1 ) vs. Rashad Evans ( 11-0-1 ) for the right to fight for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship
Talk about old school versus new school. . . Wanderlei Silva started fighting professionally in MMA way back on November 1, 1996 when he debuted with a first round knockout victory, whereas Evans got started making money in the sport on April 10, 2004.
That's about eight years difference in a sport that's only about 14 years old to begin with folks.
Still, if we've learned anything in MMA it's that experience isn't always the deciding factor. If it was, then Georges St. Pierre never would've defeated Matt Hughes ; Lyoto Machida never would've defeated Tito Ortiz ; and Keith Jardine never would've come through against Chuck Liddell.
So let's get to breaking these two fighters down.
Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva has 22 (T)KO's and four submission victories to his credit during an illustrious career where at one point he went 18 straight fights without a loss. This longtime PRIDE Middleweight Champion ( 205 pounds ) is simply known for being one of the most vicious and aggressive strikers of all time. No, Silva's punches are hardly orthodox and tend to come off as kind of looping. Still, he hits with extreme power, is one of the best finishers that the sport has ever seen, and possesses a scary clinch and good jaw.
Though that jaw, once thought to be impenetrable, has taken some hits recently. Namely, he's been knocked out in two of his last four fights by Dan Henderson and Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic.
But questioning Silva's toughness would be nothing short of ridiculously foolish. He's as tough as they come.
In terms of ground skills, Silva's capabilities are solid but unspectacular. We don't know much about his takedown skills as he always seems to want to stay on his feet. However, we do know that his takedown defense is good and his guard is serviceable.
But his takedown defense is not impenetrable, as Ricardo Arona, Tito Ortiz, and even Chuck Liddell have proven.
Chin Up Bar
Rashad Evans has three (T)KO's and two submission victories to his MMA credit. Still, any fighter that goes through the TUF process certainly deserves a little more credit for experience and ability to perform under pressure than those that haven't.
And Rashad Evans did better than just survive the TUF process. He flourished. Further, he won in the heavyweight division, taking out Brad Imes in the championship. Obviously, he's fighting lighter guys these days.
In terms of strengths, Evans is unbelievably athletic and explosive. The former Michigan State wrestling star has very strong takedowns, takedown defense, and ground control skills. On his feet, he utilizes his athleticism to score with both his legs and hands these days, even if it's his hands that are most dangerous.
Unless, that is, you ask Sean Salmon, whom Evans TKO'd with a vicious kick. By the way, Evans is also technically sound on his feet.
Evans' main weakness appears well- documented. He sometimes has difficulty finishing upper echelon opponents. Said another way, Imes, Tito Ortiz, Michael Bisping, and Stephan Bonnar have all gone the distance with him, even if, with the exception of Ortiz, they did so in losing efforts.
Wanderlei Silva vs. Rashad Evans Preview and Prediction
This is a tough one to pick, even if the bottom line is simple.
If the fight stays on the feet, Silva is likely to take home a victory. If the fight stays on the ground for the majority, Evans wins hands down.
Wanderlei Silva has a far better and more dangerous clinch than Evans. Though Evans' athleticism would certainly gain him some points on his feet, it's doubtful that the former TUF Champion could knock Silva out, considering he generally has had difficulty doing that to other fighters that haven't yet reached Silva's level.
In other words, if Chuck Liddell couldn't take out Silva, it's unlikely that Evans will be able to.
In addition, Silva's kicks are better than his would be opponent's and he generally has a more diverse stand up arsenal. So if Silva can keep this one standing he should score either a knockout or decision victory.
That's a big 'if' though. Evans has outstanding takedowns and always comes to fight in shape, and Wanderlei Silva simply has proven to be susceptible to ground and pound. Then again, his work at Xtreme Couture may have helped that issue. There's really only one way to know for sure.
Unfortunately, it's too early to predict a winner, as this fight hasn't even been confirmed yet. So look for our pick a little closer to show time, if in fact there is a show time.
