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UFC 90: Anderson Silva Is Still the Greatest, But Patrick Cote Fight Was His Worst Showing

By Michael David Smith
Anderson Silva is now 8-0 in the Octagon, and I still believe he's the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

But his third-round TKO victory over Patrick Cote tonight at UFC 90 was the worst showing of his UFC career. Silva danced and moved a lot more than he punched and kicked, and he allowed an opponent to last more than two rounds for the first time in his UFC career. Silva didn't look like he was trying his hardest -- and if he was, maybe I need to revise my opinion that he's the best fighter in the world.

Cote suffered a knee injury at the start of the third round, and we'll never know what would have happened if Cote had been able to continue. Silva probably would have won; he was winning the fight on two of the judges' scorecards and it was tied on the third. But we've come to expect nothing short of dominance from Silva tonight, and we didn't get that.

UFC President Dana White acknowledged disappointment in the way the fight turned out, adding, "The crowd was flat at the end. ... I felt like I was in a f---ing alternate universe."

Silva hardly broke a sweat tonight, so he won't need much time off before he steps into the Octagon again. I hope we see him soon, against a high-quality opponent, and I hope Silva brings his A-game. That's not what we got tonight.

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