Demian Maia: Steven Seagal Never Taught Anderson Silva Anything
Although Chris Weidman didn’t fall victim to Anderson Silva’s clowning antics at UFC 162, Demian Maia unfortunately did back at UFC Abu Dhabi in early 2010. Today, news comes that Maia sat down with Yahoo! Esportes to discuss the embattled former champion’s supposed master, Steven Seagal:
“It’s a lie. It’s marketing. Like every actor from Hollywood, when Seagal saw Anderson’s success, he glued himself to him. Seagal’s movie career was down. It worked because he appeared in the media again. Seagal never taught Silva anything… For everyone who knows about it, it’s a joke.”
That’s an interesting slight to take on Silva, who has been under fire recently for everything from fight fixing to showboating, but not necessarily for having Seagal in his camp. Many fans of MMA have definitely questioned the legitimacy of Seagal as an actual martial arts coach preparing Silva for the highest levels of MMA. However, Seagal insists he taught ‘The Spider’ the infamous front kick he used to KO Vitor Belfort in 2011.
It appears that Maia is here to refute the truth of the matter, and in a forceful way. After Silva’s loss to Weidman, many fans began to think Anderson Silva was kind of a joke himself.
Perhaps he did not give the fans what they deserved at UFC 162, but the rematch with Weidman at UFC 168 will tell if Silva still has what it takes to be champion. Will Steven Seagal actually help him accomplish his fighting goals, or is just a continuous ploy for media attention?
