Kemo
12-19-2018, 05:25 PM
Israel Adesanya’s decision to enter mixed martial arts began with watching Anderson Silva compete. And in a matter of months at UFC 234, Adesanya will have the honor to compete against him. Adesanya has previously stated that he believes we will see the Anderson Silva he idolized when the two compete at UFC 234, stating that we would “see a different Anderson” than the version we’ve seen recently but rather the “Anderson of old” due to the style of fighting Adesanya will bring to the table and evoke out of The Spider. And Anderson Silva happens to agree with him:
“Israel is a great fighter,” Silva said at a press conference at his new gym. “I think he’s super talented, he’s young, he has a brilliant future ahead in this sport. I believe he might be a version of him and he’ll become a better version of himself.
“I believe Israel is not my new version. But I think this fight is very interesting, because I believe this is the first time I have the opponent (with) the same style. That’s a good test for my martial arts skills.
“I think everybody is going to see the old Anderson, but more experienced,” Silva said. “I don’t have nothing to prove. I passed through different moments in the sport. I win, I lose. I have a lot of experience. I am just doing something for my fans. I am so happy to be back to fighting and I’m here. Every day I come to training and say, ‘Thank you God. Thank you for giving me one more opportunity to do something special.’”
Anderson Silva also believes that while some fans believe he has nothing left to prove and should embrace the legacy he has already created in the sport, Silva is operating on his own terms, which happens to be the same conditions of “the Anderson of old”:
“My legacy is trying to continue,” Silva said. It doesn’t matter how much old or not, because old is in your mind,” Silva said. “When people talk about, ‘Oh, you’re old’ – especially in my home, because my family, my kids say, ‘Dad, stop. You don’t need to prove nothing. Stop.’ And I say say, ‘OK, you have a dream you love, something – just do it.’ The Spider Kick team helped me a lot, and helped me with a new challenge and new energy to continue my legacy.”
“Israel is a great fighter,” Silva said at a press conference at his new gym. “I think he’s super talented, he’s young, he has a brilliant future ahead in this sport. I believe he might be a version of him and he’ll become a better version of himself.
“I believe Israel is not my new version. But I think this fight is very interesting, because I believe this is the first time I have the opponent (with) the same style. That’s a good test for my martial arts skills.
“I think everybody is going to see the old Anderson, but more experienced,” Silva said. “I don’t have nothing to prove. I passed through different moments in the sport. I win, I lose. I have a lot of experience. I am just doing something for my fans. I am so happy to be back to fighting and I’m here. Every day I come to training and say, ‘Thank you God. Thank you for giving me one more opportunity to do something special.’”
Anderson Silva also believes that while some fans believe he has nothing left to prove and should embrace the legacy he has already created in the sport, Silva is operating on his own terms, which happens to be the same conditions of “the Anderson of old”:
“My legacy is trying to continue,” Silva said. It doesn’t matter how much old or not, because old is in your mind,” Silva said. “When people talk about, ‘Oh, you’re old’ – especially in my home, because my family, my kids say, ‘Dad, stop. You don’t need to prove nothing. Stop.’ And I say say, ‘OK, you have a dream you love, something – just do it.’ The Spider Kick team helped me a lot, and helped me with a new challenge and new energy to continue my legacy.”