Ballet of Violence

While the quality of fights are incontestably high, I find much of the atmospherics they promote disagreeable, juvenile or even reactionary. But relative to the competition, that’s a step in the right direction.

— Luke Thomas, The UFC Has Issues, but Quality Isn’t One of Them - Bloody Elbow Muthafuckin WORD.

19 April 2010 • Luke Thomas UFC BloodyElbow

Purple Rain: Anderson Silva's Confounding Talent - Head Kick Legend

A fighter like GSP might be content to dominate his weight class, show up in a well-tailored suit and talk up every mediocre opponent like they are a great challenge and that will endear him to the fans and to Dana White. What that means for GSP is that he will without a doubt be more successful, in the traditional sense, than Anderson Silva will ever be. Fans value hard work and modesty and see talents like Silva as confusing and irritating. Anderson really didn’t even need to train for this fight, and honestly, with him slowing down like he did, I doubt he really did train very hard for this fight. Does it matter? He still easily dominated one of the top fighters in his weight class with no challenges in the Middleweight Division on the horizon anytime soon that will motivate him.

11 April 2010 • Anderson Silva Demian Maia Georges St. Pierre UFC DW HeadKickLegend

Following the event, Dana has gone into spin mode, apologizing to the fans and promising some way to make it up to them. Well, guess what Dana? You can make it up to us by putting together a fight that many people have clamored for since GSP beat B.J. Penn last January. Instead, you’ve provided us with back-to-back mismatches for the middle- and welterweight champions in the span of a month.

— Mike Fagan, Lambs to the Slaughter: Anderson Silva Needs a Challenge - Bloody Elbow

11 April 2010 • Anderson Silva Demian Maia UFC Mike Fagan BloodyElbow