Renzo Gracie Says Anderson Silva Toys With Opponents And It’s Wrong

Anderson Silva is known for his lethal striking and precise finishing ability, but he is also known for his brash antics. The Spider quite often toys with opponents, breaking them mentally before smashing them physically. Following his dancing show against Demian Maia, Silva came under fire from critics and fans for a debacle of a main event. Anyone paying to watch Silva vs. Maia in Abu Dhabi was severely disappointed, and rightly so, especially with how much seats at UFC events cost.

Having dominated the Middleweight division for so long, some might argue that Silva has an excuse for his cocky in-cage shenanigans. Renzo Gracie isn’t one of those people, he voiced his opinion on the matter in a recent interview with Thefightnetwork:

“Anderson is a guy that rubs many people the wrong way. He’s not a humble guy. Even though he may speak humbly when he talks, when he’s in the ring he doesn’t act humble. He puts down his opponents. He acts in a way that again, we always know what is right and wrong, and by looking at that, we know it’s wrong. It’s like you can beat your opponent, but do it with respect.”

Renzo is one of the biggest BJJ/MMA famalies around, the Gracies have contributed massively to the growth of MMA in so many ways. Plus they always have an awesome Brazzilian street fight story to tell.

Gracie hasn’t competed since losing to Matt Hughes, on the same card as Silva vs. Maia at UFC 112, he retired with a 13-7-1 (1) record. He may not agree with Silva’s taunting, but it is an integral part of his style. He confuses and scares opponents, which forces openings that Silva can capitalize on.

He is a nightmare for any fighter to face, especially if they aren’t too swift on the feet. Even if they are, Silva can always hurt you with his reach and create epic highlight reel finishes on demand. His destruction of Forrest Griffin was like watching a 20 year old boxer beat up a 10 year old midget.

I can’t say that Silva’s style hasn’t agitated me at times, but Muhammed Ali was criticized constantly for his style throughout his early career. Look how he turned out. Obviously Silva could tone it down a notch, but does anyone really want him to?

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