Anderson Silva, the man who was once the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, hasn't fought at all this year, yet he remains one of the most polarizing figures in mixed martial arts. The former UFC middleweight champion had been sidelined with a broken leg and will face Nick Diaz in February.
Many have to wonder the type of fighter Silva would be when he returns to the octagon at UFC 183 as it will be over a year since he last fought. Will he be the ultra-confident performer that ruled the UFC for over six years? Or will he be hesitant and unsure of himself? After breaking his leg by throwing a leg kick, it would be understandable for him to face some mental hurdles when he fights again.
But his longtime manager Ed Soares thinks Silva will be more than ready for his fight with Diaz and still has what it takes to make a run back to the middleweight title.
"I believe that there got a point in Anderson's career where maybe subconsciously he forgot what it was like not to be champ, and I think now he's kinda looking up at that hill realizing that he's got some more challenges to conquer," Soares told Submission Radio. "I think he'll be back and he'll go as far as he wants to apply himself to. I think if anybody can come back from an injury like this and come back and put that title around his waist again, if anybody in the world can do it it's Anderson Silva."
Soares thinks the fight with Diaz makes a lot of sense for both fighters as they both are coming off of two consecutive losses. Silva and Diaz have long been two of the biggest names in the sport, so a win would likely vault either of them back into title contention.
"I mean, arguable these guys are two of the best boxers in Mixed Martial arts," Soares said. "They both wanted to fight Roy Jones Jr, you know they're both coming off two loses, they both have been out of the ring for over a year, so it's just a fight that makes sense."
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