Don't write off Wanderlei Silva

LAS VEGAS – Wanderlei Silva heard all the talk. The former PRIDE 205-lb. champion knew there were whispers in the mixed martial arts world that he wasn't the fighter he used to be, and that his best days were behind him.

"You hear what the people are saying, but you can't let it bother you," Silva said. "All I do is go out and fight, that's all I worry about."

Indeed, Silva answered the questions the best way he knows how. The man known as "The Axe Murderer" put on a fearsome display of the skills that made him one of the most beloved and feared fighters on the planet, as he took out "The Dean of Mean" Keith Jardine with a brutal 36-second knockout Saturday night during UFC 84 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The win keeps the 31-year old Silva in the mix among the top fighters in the light heavyweight division. The native Brazilian, who now trains at Extreme Couture in Las Vegas, had previously been knocked out by Mirko Cro Cop and Dan Henderson and lost a unanimous decision to Chuck Liddell.

"I know people think there was a lot of pressure on me, but I was OK," said Silva (32-8-1). "I had Randy (Couture) in my corner and I looked at him and he was so calm, and that relaxed me."

Jardine came into the fight with thoughts of a potential light heavyweight title match. The Montana native (13-4-1) was coming off a split-decision win over Liddell and also owns a TKO of Forrest Griffin, who challenges Quinton "Rampage" Jackson for the title in July.

Instead, the match was reminiscent of Jardine's one-sided loss to Houston Alexander in the same building last Memorial Day weekend. Much like in that defeat, Jardine came out looking to initiate contact. But Silva absorbed a low kick and then walloped Jardine with a right hand behind the ear, which floored his foe. Jardine got off the canvas and ate another big shot, then was on the receiving end of another dozen punches before referee Steve Mazzagatti waved things off.

"I saw the tapes of that fight (the loss to Alexander)," said Silva, who received one of the biggest ovations of the night. "But that doesn't mean I was expecting the fight to go that fast. He is a tough fighter and he'll be back."

There had been speculation heading into the fight that Silva could move down to middleweight, where champion and Yahoo! Sports pound-for-pound No. 1 Anderson Silva is in need of marquee opponents. Silva, however, wouldn't commit either way.

"I'll fight wherever they want me to fight," said Silva, whose five-year reign as PRIDE champion is the longest in major MMA history. "My boss is right here, I'll fight who he wants me to fight."

That boss, of course, was UFC president Dana White, who hinted that Silva could be best served staying where he is. "There's one good fight for Wanderlei at 185 pounds," White said. "And there are a lot of them at 205."