LAS VEGAS – In his first fight since a bid to regain his middleweight title ended in a horrific broken leg, ex-champ Anderson Silva kicked over five rounds and outpointed a game Nick Diaz.
The final scores were 49-46 and 50-45 twice for Silva (34-6 MMA, 17-2 UFC), who jogged around the octagon in celebration following the decision, but then broke down in tears and was helped up by Diaz (26-10 MMA, 7-7 UFC).
“Thank you god for giving me one more chance for being here,” said Silva after the fight. “Thank you my family, my kids, and my friends – my real friends.
“It’s a very important moment for me, for my whole family, and for all Brazilians. I went through a lot of suffering in the past year, and I didn’t think I could come back.”
The middleweight bout was the main event of today’s UFC 183 event at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.
Silva, ranked No. 6 in USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie’s MMA middleweight rankings and a 3-to-1 favorite, encountered an opponent just as willing to feint and fake as he was. Diaz went so far as to lay down on the mat and freeze in place as the ex-champ circled and waited to engage. At times, the two looked more like they were voguing than fighting.
It was an entertaining start to a fight rife with questions about how Silva, who is three months shy of his 40th birthday, would perform after such an injury, and how Diaz, 31, would perform after he left the sport 20 months ago following a decision loss to now-former welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre at UFC 158.
As the fight wore on, however, the two middleweights did far less clowning and instead circled each other, attacking the legs and sporadically firing off combinations. Silva’s speed and dexterity appeared unaffected by his layoff, and his skills as a counter-striker remained. As Diaz moved forward, he snuck in accurate punches that scored.
Silva cornered Diaz on several occasions, grabbing the throat and looking for a finishing blow. But Diaz proved resilient to his attacks, firing hooks in close and covering up to weather the storm. Several one-two combinations appeared to anger the former champ as he chased down a counter.
The most consistent damage Silva did was to Diaz’s legs, which he attacked with a thrusting side kick that angered the Stockton, Calif., native. Diaz offered his chin midway through the fifth frame as he bled generously under his left eye from a Silva kick. There would be no finish, however.
“Nick is the best,” said Silva. “I’ve seen him for a long time. It’s the first time in my life I had a guy mentally strong, punches strong, the kicks strong. Thanks to Nick for the opportunity.”
Asked what was next for his career, Silva was uncertain, despite indications before the fight that a win over Diaz would earn him another fight with current middleweight champ Chris Weidman, who knocked him out at UFC 162 and then broke his leg by checking a kick at UFC 168.
“I go back home, talk to my kids, and I don’t know,” Silva said. “Maybe I come back. I don’t know.”
Silva snaps a two-fight win streak while Diaz loses his third straight fight in the UFC.
“I don’t know how he wins on damage,” said Diaz afterward. “If you lay down in front of me, I’m going to come and get you. I feel like I won every round. I love Anderson Silva; he’s a great guy. This scoring, winning game goes back and forward. These judges, they don’t like my attitude out here sometimes.”
UFC 183 Fight Results:
•
Anderson Silva def. Nick Diaz via unanimous decision (49-46, 50-45, 50-45)
•Tyron Woodley def. Kelvin Gastelum split decision (28-29, 29-28, 30-27)
•Al Iaquinta def. Joe Lauzon via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:34
•Thales Leites def. Tim Boetsch via technical submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 3:45
•Thiago Alves def. Jordan Mein via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 0:39
•Miesha Tate def. Sara McMann vs. via majority decision (29-28, 29-27, 28-28)
•Derek Brunson def. Ed Herman via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 0:36
•John Lineker def. Ian McCall via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
•Rafael Natal def. Tom Watson via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26)
•Ildemar Alcantara def. Richardson Moreira via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
•Thiago “Marreta” Santos def. Andy Enz via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:56
UFC 183 Results: Anderson Silva Defeats Nick Diaz
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