UFC champion Anderson Silva defeated Pride champion Dan Henderson at UFC 82 tonight, winning both belts in the 185-pound weight class and clearly establishing himself as both the best fighter in his weight class and maybe the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Henderson had a very good first round and got off to a fine start in the second, but Silva landed a devastating knee midway through the second round, and when they went to the ground it was just a matter of time. Silva eventually got Henderson to tap with a rear-naked choke with just seven seconds left in the second round.
Before the fight, it had been billed as the best 185-pound matchup in the history of mixed martial arts. That might very well be true, but Silva won handily, and it raises the question of whether anyone can stop the Brazilian Spider. He's just so dominant right now, it's hard to think of anyone who could even challenge him.
Previously on FanHouse:
As MMA Goes Legit, Detractors Will Continue to Miss the Real Issues for Fans
UFC 82: Anderson Silva-Dan Henderson Live
UFC 82 Undercard Live Blog: Tanner-Okami, Kongo-Herring, Fitch-Wilson, Leben-Sakara
UFC: Mark Coleman Will Fight Brock Lesnar
Henderson had a very good first round and got off to a fine start in the second, but Silva landed a devastating knee midway through the second round, and when they went to the ground it was just a matter of time. Silva eventually got Henderson to tap with a rear-naked choke with just seven seconds left in the second round.
Before the fight, it had been billed as the best 185-pound matchup in the history of mixed martial arts. That might very well be true, but Silva won handily, and it raises the question of whether anyone can stop the Brazilian Spider. He's just so dominant right now, it's hard to think of anyone who could even challenge him.
Previously on FanHouse:
As MMA Goes Legit, Detractors Will Continue to Miss the Real Issues for Fans
UFC 82: Anderson Silva-Dan Henderson Live
UFC 82 Undercard Live Blog: Tanner-Okami, Kongo-Herring, Fitch-Wilson, Leben-Sakara
UFC: Mark Coleman Will Fight Brock Lesnar