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Dana White Wants Wanderlei To Retire

3K views 22 replies 21 participants last post by  Voiceless 
#1 ·
Dana wants Wanderlei Silva to retire...

 
#2 ·
http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/7/3...a-white-wants-wanderlei-silva-retire-mma-news


It's not like the image of Wanderlei Silva crumpling to the canvas is a new one for MMA fans. It's happened three times since 2006, but the men putting up the vacant sign at Hotel Consciousness were all elite fighters with reputations for that sort of thing.

Chris Leben hits hard too -- just ask Aaron Simpson or Jorge Santiago or Terry Martin. But Leben's strategy of sacrificing defense to land his own punches, betraying an otherwise well-rounded skill set, always prevented him from transcending the role of PPV slugfest fodder.

So when Chris Leben faceplants Wanderlei Silva in 27 seconds, people start asking whether the latter should hang up his wrist-rolling gloves. And those people count Dana White among their numbers.

"People love him so much because of the way he fights and his style and the type of person he is, but yeah, (it's) probably the end of the road for Wanderlei," White told MMA Junkie. "I think it's one of those ones where I'd like to sit down and talk to him and kind of Chuck Liddell him into it."

White had to talk Liddell into retirement following a third-consecutive knockout loss to a one-armed Rich Franklin at UFC 115 just over a year ago. And that was White's second attempt -- he unilaterally announced Liddell's retirement following a knockout to Mauricio Rua in 2009.

Silva, who has yet to speak with White and did not attend the post-fight press conference, is cut from the same cloth. When asked about his future, Silva expressed plans to fight ten fight over the next five years.

"I think the guy has nothing left to prove," said White.

In 15-plus years in the sport, Silva has compiled a 33-11-1 record. He held Pride's middleweight title for over five years, and won that company's middleweight grand prix tournament in 2003. He turns 35 today.
 
#6 ·
I was calling Wandy the next Chuck Liddell even BEFORE last night, which is why i bet on Leben. He should retire, and help leave the old generation of MMA in the past. Some people are nostalgic fans who romanticize PRIDE and hate to see its fighters suffer, but I personally prefer these guys to leave without tarnishing thier legacies further and let the new wave of more well-rounded fighters take the stage!
 
#7 ·
I don't think Wand has tarnished his legacy at all. It's how fighters like him go out- on their shield. The reason why he has so many fans is the way he fights, his amazing run in Pride and the person he is away from the cage. This happens to most fighters, other sport athletes and especially ones like Wand and Chuck who fought the way they did. Going out like they did does nothing to take away from what they were able to accomplish in their prime and they should be respected for fighting on until the end. It's sad to see but it can't last forever.

Nobody remembers that Mike Tyson ended his career by quitting in his last fight against a nobody like Kevin McBride.​
 
#8 ·
He hurt Leben, Leben looked like clipped the back of his head then landed 1 flush shot on his chin. Its not like he was being obliterated every fight like Chuck was, maybe he came out too hard and fast but hey shit happens he wanted to give the fans a show and they got it....just not the way he wanted it
 
#9 ·
Dana's worries about aging fighters getting KOed often are sincere but I don't think Wandy has really even lost much in the chin department. Chuck got flatlined by Franklin's offhand it isn't to that point. Wandy didn't get KOed by Franklin or Bisping. He got KOed by Rampage, Hendo, and Leben three of the hardest punchers in their divisions and by a Crocop head kick.
 
#10 ·
I don't think he's tarnishing his legacy at all. That being said, I do think it's time to hang it up. He gave it a good go at the end but losing so frequently and as violently as he's been losing, I think it's fair to say his time is up. He had an absolutely amazing run and made himself into a legend.
 
#11 ·
Wand still has fight in him. He can beat most of the low to mid tiered fighters. It's up to him whether he wants to continue.

Winnable fights.

- Alessio Sakara
- Jorge Santiago
- Jorge Rivera
- Demian Maia *(Probably the only top tiered fighter whom Wand can beat.)


Unwinnable fights.

- Brian Stann
- Vitor Belfort
- Chael Sonnen (although this would be hilarious with the amount of tension built up)
- Alan Belcher
- Nate if he were still around
- Yushin
 
#14 ·
He shouldn't retire, he should just stop fighting like an amateur. His "close your eyes and swing until you hit something" method doesn't work now that his chin is broken. Look at the Bisping fight. He would fight technically throughout the round and close with a flurry, and that got him the win. He should keep doing that. Sure it's not at exciting as windmill punching but it'll definitely help him start winning fights again.
 
#15 ·
Yep, agree with Alphadog.

Wanderlei lost this fight himself, i foolishly went for Wandy in this fight because i thought he would fight this fight more technical, Wandys chin is shot to bits and he can't hang with a big striker unless he is going to fight intelligently.

I'm 50-50 on retirement because i love watching him and don't want him to go out on a loss - on the otherhand unless he gets favourable match making i'm not sure i want to see him fight.
 
#16 ·
We all knew that this was going to happen, you could tell with the way Wandy went down, and trying to fight the ref!

Dana does care about the fighters so I feel he has done the right thing, in telling the media. It will get to Wandy and then he will go in and have a chat about his fighting career, it isn't like he need's to fight no more, he has his gym for one and sure aload of other business's that he can live off.

I agree with Dana on this one. And for those who have said that have said it's not like he was getting battered up like Chuck, but Dana is saying this now before it comes to that.
 
#20 ·
peabody's point isn't that far off base. Now is the perfect time for wandy to walk away. His gyms are up, his team is growing and his legend is set in stone.

He looked good against Bisping but, how many MWs can they find who hit that softly?

Don't wait until you've been KO'd by Jorge Rivera and Sakara wandy, walk away with your legacy.

Honestly if I was Wandy I would ask for an immediate rematch with Leben and let that fight decide.

If I was Dana I would have Wandy occupying Chucks office in UFC-Brazil.

And Sakuraba doing the same in Japan but, that's just me.
 
#23 ·
He looked old at his entrance. A flash KO doesn't tell much as that can always happen and before he went down he clipped Leben quite good. But then again his UFC record isn't positively outstanding either. So he should at least think about retirement. He really has nothing to prove. He should profit from his achievements and make the best of it outside the octagon.
 
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