UFC 200: Daniel Cormier smothers Anderson Silva in boo-filled, one-sided decision
LAS VEGAS – Daniel Cormier learned on Saturday how to win the fight and lose the crowd.
The UFC light heavyweight champion won a wide unanimous decision over the legendary Anderson Silva at UFC 200 at T-Mobile Arena, but he didn’t come out of it better in the eyes of the fans.
Cormier wound up fighting Silva, the former middleweight champion and one of the great fighters in the sport’s history, because his original opponent, Jon Jones, failed a drug test and was pulled from the card.
On Thursday, Silva accepted the fight on just 48 hours’ notice and the crowd loved that he did. A two-time Olympic wrestler who was in shape for a five-round fight was far too much for the 41-year-old Silva, who had gall bladder surgery in May.
Silva was taken down and pounded by Cormier, not unexpectedly. As the fight wore on, the crowd booed lustily, agitated that Cormier wouldn’t stand. Whenever Cormier landed a takedown in the second half of the fight, the crowd would erupt in boos.
At one point, the crowd began chanting, “Stand them up,” as Cormier held Silva down in half-guard.
The crowd roared for Silva and after the bout, he grabbed the microphone to thank the fans.
He said it wasn’t a problem fighting Cormier, who is bigger, but coming off surgery so recently was an issue.
“This fight was a big personal challenge for me to accept it,” Silva said. “I’m used to training with heavier guys. [But] I haven’t really trained since the surgery and this was a good test.”
Cormier, who said Silva is his idol, got onto his knees and embraced Silva, soon after the fight ended. It was a touching moment but the crowd didn’t care. They’d paid big money to see Cormier fight Jones and weren’t thrilled when he didn’t make a show of it against Silva.
“I’ve been training for a specific guy for eight weeks,” Cormier said. “Then, all of a sudden, I’m fighting Anderson Silva. He’s so great, so I did what I had to do.”
He fought the smart fight, no doubt, but it could have long-term repercussions against him. Cormier is one of the sport’s true good guys, as well as a great fighter.
But he was ripped by the fans in the arena and on social media.
