Mark J. Rebilas-USA Today Sports
UFC light heavyweights Thiago Silva and Rafael Cavalcante battled it out tonight, which was an exciting bout from start to finish. Both fighters were eager to exchange on the feet, and it looked like this bout was going the distance. Cavalcante threw some heavy bombs, but Silva countered with his own shots and landed some good leg kicks.
Ultimately, Silva was able to back Cavalcante against the cage, landing some good shots. Silva eventually landed an uppercut, sending Cavalcante to the canvas and the ref was forced to step in. This was an impressive win for Silva. It was much needed after his post-fight drug test controversies. What was really impressive about this win was how Silva kept pouring it on.
He never once got tired and was always pressuring from the very beginning. It seems that his training is paying off. It will be interesting to see who the UFC matches him up with next. Maybe a bout with Ryan Bader or James Te Huna would be good for his career. Both of these fighters like to stand and bang, so it will be a thrilling affair that shoots the winner up the light heavyweight rankings.
For Cavalcante, this was his UFC debut and it didn’t go the way he wanted it to. He will need to go back to the drawing board and shore up his cardio deficiencies, which seem to plague him tonight. Also, he might want to stop moving backyard, especially when he is against the cage against dangerous strikers like Silva.
