Silva vs. Diaz

This is the official discussion thread for Silva vs. Diaz. Let's see what you've got.

I don't see Diaz' flat footed boxing style being very effective against Anderson.  

Diaz may very well win (I doubt it but it can happen), but I think saying Anderson's chin is shattered based on one knockout by someone much much more powerful that Diaz is a bit of a stretch... At least based on the evidence we have now.

* Edited at 08.05.2014, 3:27 PM ET *

Lets not forget how rocked Silva was in Round 1 at UFC 168.

Yeah Weidman has more power than Diaz, that's a given. What i'm saying is if Anderson starts getting over confident against the cage he could get caught, after all that's where Diaz throws his best combos.

In the Bonnar fight he was definately getting punched in the face here and there before he exploded for another Silva"esque" KO, but he was getting hit and that .gif shows it.... Now factor in that Silva has never fought someone who throws combo's against the cage like Diaz, especially mixing in body shots.....

I'm just playing devils advocate here..... if you notice i'm picking Silva by KO - but Silva sitting against the cage trying to bob & weave a Diaz combo could equal something noboby wants to see.

I actually do believe that Anderson Silva's once unbreakable chin has now been shattered, but the reason isn't because of the Weidman KO...that punch could have knocked down Roy ******' Nelson for ****'s sake.

I'm worried about the chin because of the rematch; Weidman knocked Anderson down in the first round from a short hook in a single collar clinch.




That punch was not powerful in the least but it really ****** with Anderson, so I can't trust his chin anymore.

However, I still think that Diaz body-punching against the cage won't be effective against Anderson quite like it would be against anyone else. If anything, I think Anderson should go against the cage and try to entice Diaz into doing one of his trademark body punching flurries.











If you haven't seen it yet, the reason why I say that is because Nick Diaz exposes not only his head but his neck completely when he does his body punching against the cage. Look at the way he leans his head on Evangelista's. In the picture of the body hook on Frank Shamrock, Nick Diaz's neck is once again susceptible to getting grabbed by Frank's left hand. In the GIF where Nick Diaz is beating down Marius Zaromskis, look at how he leans his head forward as he starts to target the body towards the end of the clip. Finally, if you look at the last image against Paul Daley, Nick Diaz does the same thing only Paul Daley has the knowledge and wherewithal to initiate the double collar against Nick.

Anderson Silva is still a master of the double collar tie plum and with that added size advantage, he'll probably be able to rip Nick Diaz's head straight off of his neck MK-style.

* Edited at 08.05.2014, 4:51 PM ET *

That's a very good point, Nick will have to watch out for knees if he backs Silva to the cage and fires one of his combos. It could make for some really nice exchanges if Silva launches a knee while Diaz is the middle of a combo.
But like I said, I don't think Silva will look like he used to. Nick would probably clip him upstairs before Silva can land any big knees.
And I actually think his head is relatively safe when its pressed up to the other guys head/neck area. You hear good wrestlers talking about doing that all the time. Its when Nick is rushing in just before he gets right up on hi that the clinch could come.

@franklin3000 Yeah maybe GSP was injured during that fight, I don't know about that. He fights injured pretty often and always butt****s them, like Thiago Alves in UFC100. And yeah sure if the Diaz Condit fight continued it would have continued just the way it did, with Condit *****footing around and running from Diaz. Thats another fight where one guy won it as a sport but we all know who won it as a fight.

Pretty sick fan made event poster

Remember what Nick Diaz did to BJ Penn? I think that Anderson Silva is going to do the same thing to Nick Diaz. I really love both fighters. In fact they are two of my favs, but I just don't see Nick Diaz being able to hang with Anderson Silva. However, it is possible that Silva is on the downhill slide of his career, and we all saw what Diaz did to Frank Shamrock on the downhill slide of his career.

In all honesty, if Diaz makes out of the 1st round, I'll be surprised. I'm excited for the fight, but then again tentative both for Diaz and Silva. For Silva this a "nothing to gain, everything to lose fight." For Diaz, he's going in there against the greatest MMA MW of all time, and I think that Nick's style plays right into Silva's hands. I wish them both luck.

@Ram

GSP injuried himself during the alves fight not prior. That not the same thing at all, GSP had trouble even making weight for the Diaz fight because he injuried his knee prior to the fight. Yes we do all know who won the condit - Diaqz fight, it was Condit, by out landing him the entire fight and having by far the most dominant round of the fight which was the 4th. Diaz fans still butt hurt. COndit has been more then willing to rematch DIaz, but you don't see Diaz taking the fight do you? Condit won that fight and he dam sure win the rematch.

* Edited at 08.17.2014, 7:03 PM ET *

Diaz is a great fighter but his style plays right into Silva's. He keeps his head up to much and that equals trouble against Anderson. This fight is gonna be like a firecacker with a long fuse, a whole lot of build up for just a little bang at the end.

Nick Diaz has lost both of his fights in the once a year fighting situation in which he has decided to grace us with his middle finger throwing presence. Anderson should take this.

Nick Diaz:
Loses to Condit, then fights Gsp
Loses to Gsp, then fights Silva
Loses to Silva, fights Weidman
Loses to Weidman, fights Jesus

Diaz is a negotiating genius

I'm still not sure if I actually believe this is happening. 

People keep talking about Anderson might be on on the downslide of his career I think the skill is still there and will be for a long time! The only questions I have with Anderson Silva are 1.His Chin 2.His Confidence that's it If those two things are there he can beat any man in the world but I do question if those are there. And im not talking about confidence to throw kicks are none of that soft Im talking about Confidence in him self about the guy who used to hop out to the cage shrugging and rolling his shoulders looking like he was unhuman because the guy who walk out to UFC 168 was not that that was a guy who was scared and had doubt in his mind that guy didn't look like Anderson silva he looked like a guy who was second guessing himself  and I think it showed in the fight and now on to his chin I mean look I don't know man when weidmen  hit him with that shot in the clinch Anderson was almost out but what makes me wonder if he just got caught when he when wasn't expecting it. he just got done throwing a knee and got caught right behind the ear bad spot to get hit  and for those of you who don't think that was hard shot think again look at Weidmen's  face he put some force behind that punch and Anderson went down and survived a flurry of hard ground shots. I don't know I think maybe he just got caught but maybe his chin is suspect now only time will tell. I think what matters in this fight what Anderson shows up pre UFC 162 or post UFC 162

dont be scared homie bahahahahahaha

I'm saying loud and prod. Nick Diaz takes the decision. You will never hit a home run unless you step inside the batters box. And ladies and gentleman, Nick Diaz is stepping in the box. 

I know its unlikely Diaz will get the win, but i'll be damned if I'm not rooting for the guy all the way. Best of luc kto the 209!

If I didn't love Anderson so much I'd be rooting for Nick ... only because it would set up Diaz/Lawler II whichy intrigues the **** out of me.

But I'm on team Anderson ... always have been, always will be. Even when he fought Chael who I love to bits, I was rooting for Anderson.

Chael Sonnen is god.