UFC 101 Co-Main Event - The Spider vs. Forrest Griffin
by Charles Jay
SILVA VS. GRIFFIN: MOVING UP, HOPEFULLY NOT OUT
BetUS UFC 101 Betting Odds
UFC - Light heavyweights
Date: Aug 08, 10PM EST
Location: Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
ANDERSON SILVA -350
FORREST GRIFFIN +250
For betting purposes, let's look at the contestants:
SILVA (24-4, 14 KO's), the -350 favorite in the BetUS mixed martial arts betting odds, made his name in Vale Tudo and Pride before joining up with the UFC following the Pride merger. He lost his pro debut as a mixed martial artist, but won the Shooto middleweight title in just his sixth pro fight. Silva's much-anticipated UFC debut came at Ultimate Fight Night 5 in June of 2006 as he destroyed Chris Leben. He was almost instantly given a title shot against Rich Franklin, and he won the middleweight title at UFC 64 with a TKO in three minutes. He's held the title for almost three years and has defended that title five times, including a rematch with Franklin which went into the second round before Franklin was stopped. At UFC 82, he was put against former Pride welterweight and middleweight champion Dan Henderson and scored a submission via rear naked choke in the second round. He then ventured into the light heavyweight class and took out James Irvin very quickly. In a defense against Patrick Cote at UFC 90, he did not look particularly inspired and won the bout in the third round when Cote injured his knee. Last time out Silva looked awful against Thales Leites in Montreal, allowing Leites to go the entire distance in a decision win. He was booed, and later Dana White called his effort "embarrassing." Silva is a versatile fighter; one who has the ability to take opponents out with strikes, and can also subdue them on the ground with his expertise in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. He is contemplating a retirement from the UFC early next year, and would like to go out with a flourish.
GRIFFIN (16-5, 3 KO's) represents a star fighter who was more or less produced by the "Ultimate Fighter" series on Spike TV. That's not to say he didn't fight plenty before that. Griffin lost his pro debut to Dan Severn back in 2001 and went up against the likes of Jeff Monson, Jeremy Horn and Travis Fulton before joining up with the UFC. His win over Stephen Bonnar in the TUF light heavy finale in the first season led to great popularity for the former police officer. Griffin suffered a couple of road blocks when he lost to Tito Ortiz and Keith Jardine, but at UFC 86 he scored a big upset when he beat Quinton "Rampage" Jackson on a decision to win the UFC light heavyweight title. His title was short-lived, however, as he lost it to Rashad Evans on a third-round TKO at UFC 92 last December. Griffin has a background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, along with a degree in political science from the University of Georgia.
Silva, who has come off two performances that were not that impressive, now moves up in weight to face a capable world-class fighter. That is often a formula for defeat; then again, if the fighter is genuinely great, he can get himself "up" for fights like this. According to the P.R. that has come out of the UFC camp, Silva has been hyped as the best "pound-for-pound" fighter in the world, and that is obviously in response to the fact that the UFC does not have the real #1 fighter, Fedro Emilianenko. That is why Dana White was so "embarrassed" by the lackluster effort Silva put forth against Leites.
In terms of what we might refer to as "class," Silva would appear to have an edge. He is a whirlwind, and that is a problem for all opponents, who sometimes are non-combative. In fact, since it takes two to tango, that might be part of the problem in his last rather dull fight. Griffin is aggressive, and can extract an advantage if he gets Silva to the ground, but he faces the very real possibility of getting rocked if he rushes Silva.
No, I don't expect Silva to be indifferent, although the fight against Irwin is not the kind of challenge that serves as a true barometer as to how he can perform in the light heavyweight division. Griffin is a never-say-die guy; he may go down but he's going down swinging. He is perfectly capable of pulling off upsets, and I like that kind of guy as an underdog. However, at the same time he is perfectly capable of making the mistake that turns this thing around, and when that happens, Silva will be ready to take full advantage. I'd like to go with the dog here, but I have to pay the price with Silva, the -350 favorite in the BetUS UFC mixed martial arts betting odds.
JAY'S PLAY: SILVA TO WIN (-350) **
(Graded on a scale of 1-4 stars)
