When the main event for UFC 183 was announced, fans salivated at the thought of Anderson Silva taking on Nick Diaz.
A dream matchup pinning two of the most popular fighters in mixed marital arts history against one another. A superfight between two of the best boxers and most exciting fighters in the sport. A battle of the greatest fighter of all-time versus the most enigmatic fighter in the UFC.
However, as the event approaches, there hasn’t been the type of buzz surrounding it most expected, even though the UFC should be lauded for the way they’ve marketed the headliner.
One reason for the dampened enthusiasm could be because it’s the fourth UFC event in four weeks. Another could be a combination of the fact few are giving Diaz a chance and that there is no heat between the two athletes. Both men have been respectful and this isn’t something we’re used to seeing before a typical Diaz fight. Then again, this isn’t your typical Diaz fight when you look at the size discrepancy between the Stockton bad boy and “The Spider.”
TALE OF THE TAPE
Anderson Silva
UFC Record: 16-2
Age: 39
Height: 6’2”
Natural weight class: 185 pounds
Reach: 77.5 inches
Titles: Former UFC middleweight champion.
Vegas odds: –450 favourite
Nick Diaz
UFC Record: 7-6
Age: 31
Height: 6’0”
Natural weight class: 170 pounds
Reach: 76 inches
Titles: Former Strikeforce/EliteXC/WEC welterweight champion.
Vegas odds: +325 underdog
Diaz has never fought at middleweight – he did compete in 179- and 180-pound catchweight bouts against Frank Shamrock and Scott Smith, respectively, in Strikeforce in 2009 – and isn’t even a large welterweight to begin with.
Meanwhile, Silva is a big middleweight. He cuts weight to make 185 pounds and in between fights can bulk up to heavier than 220 pounds. He is also 3-0 in the UFC light-heavyweight division with knockout wins over James Irvin, Stephan Bonnar and former champion Forrest Griffin.
Yet it seems little is being made of the size mismatch.
With that in mind, here are five other notable UFC size mismatches that were billed as competitive fights where the bigger fighter ended up winning.
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Anthony Johnson vs. Charlie Brenneman, UFC Live 6
This pairing seems ridiculous – in hindsight anyways – but at the time Johnson and Brenneman were quality 170-pounders coming off unanimous wins over Dan Hardy and Rick Story, respectively. Johnson made quick work of Brenneman, finishing him with a head-kick KO in three minutes. Fast forward two-and-a-half years to UFC 172 where Johnson was in the co-main event fighting at 205 pounds, while Brenneman was on the prelims competing at 155 pounds.
This Oct. 1, 2011 main card was a bizarre one in terms of size mismatches. In addition to Johnson vs. Brenneman, the main event was a bantamweight title fight between Dominick Cruz and Demetrious Johnson before there was a flyweight division for Johnson to compete in. Also, 6-foot-11 Stefan Struve submitted 5-foot-11 Pat Barry in the fight with the biggest height discrepancy in UFC history.
Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture, UFC 91
Couture is the only person to win both the UFC light-heavyweight and heavyweight titles, but he was never an imposing figure physically – even at 205 pounds. So when he fought the behemoth known as Brock Lesnar in a heavyweight title unification bout at UFC 91, he was outmatched.
Just look at that tale of the tape.
Georges St-Pierre vs. Sean Sherk, UFC 56
When people look back at the career of GSP – which still technically isn’t over – one fight that’s often overlooked is his bout with Sherk. It happened in November 2005 before the UFC reinstated its lightweight division in 2006. GSP would go on to become the most dominant welterweight in MMA history and Sherk eventually dropped to his natural 155-pound division where he became champion.
Rory MacDonald vs. Nate Diaz, UFC 129
After a successful run at lightweight, Nick Diaz’s younger brother Nate gave welterweight a shot in 2010. He started out 2-0 in the division with outstanding stoppage wins over Rory Markham and Marcus Davis before dropping a competitive decision to a bigger, stronger Dong Hyun Kim at UFC 125 on New Year’s Day 2011. Then, at UFC 129, it became apparent very quickly that Diaz wasn’t big enough to compete with the elite at 170 pounds as MacDonald ragdolled the TUF 5 winner for three full rounds in front of 55,000-plus at Rogers Centre in Toronto.
Matt Hughes vs. Royce Gracie, UFC 60
Martial arts is more about technique than it is about size, but this “old school vs. new school” clash was a showcase in how physical strength can determine what happens in a fight. Gracie was 175 pounds spread across a six-foot frame and didn’t cut any weight to get there, while Hughes was 5-foot-9, 175.5 pounds of solid muscle. Although Gracie literally looked down at Hughes when the two squared off for their catchweight tilt, Hughes was stronger than most middleweights and overall the much bigger man. This resulted in an easy first-round TKO win for Hughes.
