Silva vs. Tyson: Examination

There has been a lot of Internet chatter lately about whether or not Anderson Silva is the “new Mike Tyson.” Proponents of this comparison believe that Silva now has the invincible mystique that Tyson had, and that his opponents enter the ring already terrified and intimidated. They also compare the relative ease with which Silva has destroyed opponents with the way Tyson dispatched #1 contenders like they were amateurs. How valid is this comparison in terms of Silva’s current mystique, performance and relative domination of his weight class?

I watched in awe as Anderson Silva knocked Dan Henderson down with a flurry of punches and knees in the second round of UFC 82. Upon reviewing the footage of that exchange about a dozen times, I wasn’t stunned so much by the ferocity of his strikes—after all, it is no secret that Silva’s strikes are devastating—I was mostly shocked by the Silva’s calm demeanor. After knocking Henderson down he took his time in attacking-- waiting a fraction of a second before delivering follow-up blows. Then, with Henderson dazed and on the defensive, Silva aggressively but methodically tightened himself around Henderson like a python, eventually cinching a rear naked choke that forced the inestimable Dan Henderson to tap.

Back to the comparison: Mike Tyson came from rough beginnings, and never really changed his behavior. He wore a gold tooth, spoke in the vernacular of the streets, engaged in street fights, carried masses of muscle and tattoos and went about his business both inside and outside of the ring with brutish intensity. Tyson appeared riddled with self-doubt and hatred, and always seemed on the verge of committing criminal violence. He entered the ring burning with pure, primal animosity.

Silva, on the other hand, is soft-spoken. He talks about respect, nobility and what it is to be a true champion. His chiseled features show no signs of having been in dozens of brutal MMA battles. He walks, punches, kicks and grapples with the grace of a dancer. His body is loose and sleek and not overly developed. He resembles those mystical Kung Fu teachers of the movies rather than modern-day bravado-filled martial artists. Self-possessed and spiritual, he seems like a nice guy even when he is smashing his knee into his opponent’s jaw.

The quantifiable statistics of Tyson’s career versus Silva’s can be debated; however, it is my opinion that Silva is far more frightening than Tyson ever was.

His ability to destroy and inflict damage is more insidious because it is not directly advertised. He doesn’t brag. He doesn’t have a massive physique, and he smiles. After the Henderson fight, he approached each member of Henderson’s corner team, grabbed their hand in both of his, and bowed. (Perhaps the only similarity he has to Tyson is his high-pitched voice, which, like Tyson, seems a little out of place for such a dominant combat athlete). Genuinely unruffled, his demeanor more closely resembles Tiger Wood’s on the golf course than Mike Tyson’s in the ring. Silva hasn’t assembled a façade to frighten, bludgeon or intimidate. He has cultivated an image of respect, dignity and pride. His innate power and self-possession is what makes him most terrifying because his strength comes from the inside, and it is difficult, verging on impossible, to defeat someone with unshakable self-belief.