Steve Mitchell-USA Today Sports
UFC welterweight Erick Silva stormed onto the UFC scene. In his debut, he was able to dismantle Carlo Prater within seconds. The bout was ruled a no contest, however, as the ref said some shots landed to the back of Prater’s head. Despite this controversial call, Silva was able to come back with an impressive submission win over Charlie Brenneman.
The win showcased Silva’s dynamic striking and grappling capabilities. All was going perfect for Silva, until he fought Jon Fitch, who was able to bring him back down to reality. In the bout, Fitch was able to grind on Silva for all three rounds, showing he still needed some improvement in terms of his wrestling defense.
Silva would rally back again, defeating Jason High by way of submission. So the question remains: Will Silva live up to his hype? He has been hot and cold in the UFC, and if he ever wants to compete for a title, he will have to string together some impressive wins. His win over High was impressive in that High, who is a competent wrestler, wasn’t able to take him down often.
In fact, it was Silva who initiated the ground exchanges, proving he is still evolving as a fighter. Silva faces a stern test, in terms of the grappling department, with Dong Hyun Kim, who recently stated his wrestling would give Georges St. Pierre, the current welterweight champion, problems.
This may be the last time that Silva has a chance to make a run for the title, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep the bout standing against Kim. If he can, he could very well get a knockout, as he has power in his hands and kicks.
