UFC 237: Brazilian Superstars Look To Turn Back The Clock

By Adam Martin

MMA fans have no shortage of fights to watch this weekend. Between UFC 237, Bellator 221 and PFL Season 2, this is going to be a great weekend of fisticuffs. But UFC 237 in particular is a special event. Anytime the UFC goes to Brazil it’s always a treat, and that’s absolutely the case with this card, which features a pair of Brazilian superstars looking to turn back the clock.

In the co-main event, former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva looks to get back into the win column with a victory over the surging Jared Cannonier, who is coming off a huge KO win. Silva, who is 44, recently returned from a two-year layoff only to lose a spirited decision to Israel Adesanya in the main event of UFC 234. His last win, a decision victory over Derek Brunson, is his only win in the last seven years. Yet he’s still Anderson Silva, one of the greatest fighters to ever step into the Octagon, and you can’t write him off just yet.

Having said that, Silva needs to win a fight. Aside from the Brunson win and a No Contest to Nick Diaz in 2015, Silva hasn’t had much success in the UFC since his shocking KO loss to Chris Weidman back in 2013. Silva’s last finish came way back in 2012 against Stephan Bonnar, which, for a guy who was known for knocking everyone out in his prime, isn’t a great endorsement of where his current skill level lies. He needs a finish in order to prove to everyone he still has what it takes, and a performance against Cannonier like the one over Bonnar would boost Silva’s career at this late stage. There’s no reason to think that he can’t be like Dan Henderson and have success into his late 40s.

The Silva vs. Bonnar fight took place in Brazil, and that was the last time Silva fought on his home turf. He gets the chance this weekend to fight in front of a home crowd once again, as does Jose Aldo, the former UFC Featherweight Champion, who takes on Alexander Volkanovski in an important fight at 145 lbs. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time both Silva and Aldo have fought on the same card.

Like Silva, Aldo is one of Brazil’s greatest fighters, not to mention one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time. Most had written him off as a shot fighter after he was knocked out in back-to-back fights against Max Holloway, but since then, Aldo has done nothing but win. He’s coming off of consecutive vicious TKO wins over Jeremy Stephens and Renato Moicano, and is looking like a prime version of himself. However, a win over Volkanovski would truly cement Aldo as the #1 contender in the featherweight division. If he can beat Volkanovski, the owner of a 16-fight win streak, it would be hard to deny Aldo another title shot. The fact that he’s fighting in Brazil, where he’s had plenty of success over the years, should give Aldo plenty of motivation to have a spectacular performance.

UFC 237 is going to be a special event. Anytime the UFC heads to Brazil it is, and the fact that Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo are part of the card should make it an unforgettable experience. They are two of the greatest fighters of all time, but each man has a lot to prove at this point in his respective career, particularly if he wants to make another title run. They’ll both get the opportunity to turn back the clock, however, which undoubtedly makes this weekend’s card a must-watch event.