Anderson Silva’s UFC 234 bout against Israel Adesanya almost ended like this. The Stylebender landed a kick to the knee of The Spider’s lead (right) leg early in the third round that buckled him, but he recovered. Jared Cannonier must’ve studied that fight. Here he kicks Silva’s same leg until it gives.

It’s an odd and anticlimactic ending to a fight it seems was just getting started. Anderson Silva goes down near the end of the “very” first round; a point at which Jared Cannonier’s speed and strength advantage has him at a slight edge, though Silva manages to land some impressive kicks of his own.

The man is 44 years old and looks good for that age, but these losses are adding up, which only tarnishes his legacy as arguably the best UFC fighter ever. If he’d retired after his first loss to Chris Weidman, which is what I said he should’ve done at the time, there wouldn’t be much to argue about.

Instead he went for a rematch and got his leg broken. That loss is eerily similar to this one, which takes us back to the question of the end. BJ Penn, who Silva once praised as one of the best ever, earned his seventh straight loss at this same 237 event. The way Silva’s career is going isn’t much better.

my rating : 3 of 5

2019