BROOKLYN, New York – Arguably the greatest MMA fighter of all-time may have got the benefit of the doubt on Saturday night at Barclays Center as part of UFC 208. Anderson Silva went the distance to earn a three-round decision against Wilmington native Derek Brunson in the co-main event on Pay Per View.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CA4nWXedImI
“I worked hard for a long time in my life to fight here,” Silva said. “I put my heart in this all the time. Now when I come here to fight, I give my best. I know I’m too old to fight. These guys are fast and strong, but I put my heart in this.”
Brunson, 34, looked wary of getting too aggressive against the legendary Silva after his forceful pressure led to him being knocked out in the opening round against fellow middle weight Robert Whittaker over Thanksgiving weekend at UFC Fight Night 101 in Melbourne, Australia.
He was able to get a take down in round two and accelerated his punches with good inside boxing, but wasn’t able to land anything significant against the 41-year old former middleweight champion.
Must respect @SpiderAnderson thanks 4 the fight.It was an honor.I disagree w/ the judges but you're still my fav. of all time! @ufc #UFC208
— Derek Brunson (@DerekBrunson) February 12, 2017
Scores from the three judge panel were 30-27, 29-28 and 29-28 for the No. 7-ranked Silva, now 34-8 in his long fighting career. The victory was the first official win for the Brazilian since October 2012.
After the decision social media exploded in favor of Brunson, who was the No. 8-ranked middle weight contender. He falls to 16-5 in MMA and dropped his second consecutive match. UFC President Dana White also chimed in on the decision during Fox Sports 1’s post fight show, lending support to Brunson.
