Anderson Silva earned his first win since 2012 with a decision victory over Derek Brunson in a very closely contested bout.
Silva spoke with MMAJunkie after the bout and said he thought he performed well, but admitted the last round was questionable in terms of scoring. “I think I was more technical, and I moved more,” Silva said. “In the last round, my opponent put me on the ground. But I was more offensive, and I attacked more. This is a good question for the judges.”
He also dispelled any rumors of retirement and reiterated his love for the sport. “I have just one thing to say: I’m so happy, because first of all, I love fighting,” he said. “Second, sometimes when different people talk to me and say, ‘Why don’t you stop? You don’t need to prove anything.’ I respond, ‘This is my air. This is my heart. Fighting is my life’.”
Silva improved to 34-8 and is currently ranked 6th in the UFC Middleweight Division.
Cervantes Analysis: There were a lot of people who felt Brunson won this fight and SIlva admitted he felt old at one point in the fight. He’s not the same quick or agile fighter he once was and this win may have helped his morale, but with Dana White even admitting he had the score for Brunson I don’t think this improves Silva’s standing in the division. He probably will never challenge for the title again with the top of the division experiencing a bottleneck with fighters like Yoel Romero and Jacare Souza already in line for a shot. He’ll always be a big draw and will likely be a gatekeeper taking money fights for the remainder of his career.
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