Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley have both taken part in UFC title fights that faced plenty of criticism.
Jake Paul is set for what could be his toughest test yet when he takes on Anthony Joshua this Friday, December 19.
This fight comes after two of Paul’s former opponents are scheduled to meet each other for the first time. Tyron Woodley will step in as a replacement to face Anderson Silva at the Kaseya Center in Miami, where two former UFC champions will go head-to-head.
“Just about being patient, like everyone was saying before – don’t try and rush anything or force something that’s not there, just kind of let it come naturally and keep chopping away,” told TalkSPORT.com.
Silva and Woodley may have very different styles and career paths, but there is one quality they share that played a big role in their success at the top level of MMA.
Joe Rogan points to how Silva often slowed down fights by choice
Anderson Silva first won the UFC middleweight title in 2006 before going on to produce one of the most iconic runs in the history of the sport.
His upcoming bout against Tyron Woodley is an interesting clash of styles considering where they excelled in MMA, but there is one key similarity.
During an episode of his podcast in 2024, Joe Rogan spoke about one of Silva’s greatest strengths that he believes made him “invincible” during the peak of his career.
“If he made the fight boring, it was also a strategy because then you’d be anxious and you would maybe do something to try and pick up the pace, then he’d crack you,” the long-time UFC commentator said during the Joe Rogan Experience #2176. “He was just so smart that he didn’t care if people were booing.”
Forcing his opponents to initiate the action allowed the Brazilian to make them fight the way that he wanted so he could capitalize with his lethal counter striking.
The American was often happy to wait for his opponents to act, with his explosive power and wrestling being such a significant threat that he knew he didn’t need to be the one forcing anything to happen.
“I was always of the mind that he’s doing the 100% correct thing,” Rogan said about Silva. “He’s the best fighter and to fight best, you’ve got to know when attack and when not attack sometimes don’t at all. If does something out character forces it, was style.”
Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley’s similarity could make for a dull fight on December 19
Anderson Silva and Tyron Woodley both implemented styles that relied on their opponents to make things happen so they could capitalize on mistakes.
The two fighters were known for this approach, and while it was effective, it sometimes resulted in slow-paced bouts where neither side wanted to be the first to take a risk.
With both Silva and Woodley comfortable playing the counter-puncher, Friday’s fight has the potential for some uneventful rounds if neither decides to push the pace.
But there is always the chance that one of them might choose to take control of the action at some point, especially if they feel pressured by how judges are scoring things or by fan reaction during live betting.
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