Heavy Wait Part 5: What Antonio Silva Needs To Do In Order To Win It All

Hello again fans and friends and welcome to part 5 of “Heavy Wait”, my ultra-in-depth look at the Strikeforce Heavyweight Grand Prix, an event that I along with many Strikeforce fans have incredibly high hopes for. Today on Heavy Wait, we’re diving right into the tournament itself, as I’m taking all eight participants and giving my thoughts on what I think they should do to beat all seven of their possible opponents. Up next is Antonio Silva, the “Bigfoot” that was the first and only EliteXC Heavyweight Champion. Let’s do this.

Fedor Emelianenko: Silva needs to throw bombs, but more importantly, he needs to throw them with precision and accuracy. Fedor knows what it takes to submit a big man on the ground, but he hasn’t faced a big man with the kind of skill that Silva has. If it goes to the ground, Silva needs to be very, very careful. Standing up, Silva needs the confidence to take chances, because he just might get them, and when you’re Antonio Silva, everything you throw is thrown with lots of power and plenty of bad intentions.

Alistair Overeem: Above all else, Silva needs room to throw. If Overeem closes the distance and turns this into a grappling match, Overeem will knee Silva all to hell, plus, Overeem possesses uncanny short-arm KO power: he knocked Todd Duffee out and barely had a few inches to swing. Silva needs to make the absolute most out of his reach advantage, because the last thing “Bigfoot” needs is for Overeem to dirty-box with him.

Fabricio Werdum: It’s all about control. Silva needs to control where this fight goes, he needs to control where he positions himself, and he needs to control his opponent. If Werdum starts advancing, start throwing bombs to back him up. If Silva gets cornered, he needs to immediately switch to “takedown defense” mode, because we all know what’s coming. On the ground, Silva needs to smother Werdum and, above all else, protect his various ligaments at all times.

Andrei Arlovski: With the confidence he gained from beating Arlovski the first time, I think Silva can afford to open up with his striking and really try to KO Arlovski the second time around. Silva knows he can last against Arlovski for three rounds, so he can certainly do the same thing again if he wants to, more than likely it’ll work and he’ll win again. But if he wants to make an emphatic statement, he should hunt for Arlovski’s chin, which remains suspect, and look for the KO that he stands a good chance of getting.

Sergei Kharitonov: It’s a battle of staying power vs. stopping power. Silva needs to tire Sergei out because, let’s be honest, Sergei has one thing and one thing only going for him: his punching power. If Silva can avoid the early-round onslaughts, he should be more than able to tire Sergei out and dominate the next two round with relative ease.

Josh Barnett: Silva needs to prepare for a war of attrition, because I think that’s exactly what this match will be. It’ll be a give-and-take affair with both men really dishing it out and taking it in. The key to Silva’s victory in this fight is that he needs to remain calm and not let the multiple exchanges fluster him and cause him to start getting sloppy. Silva stands the best chance of beating Barnett if he comes in mentally and physically prepared for a tough three-round war.

Brett Rogers: I honestly think “Bigfoot” has the best chance of winning if he takes this fight to the ground. Rogers still has a whole lot to learn when it comes to fighting off of his back, and if the Mike Kyle fight proved anything, it’s that Silva can outright blast through his opponent’s blocks and score a TKO. If Silva can keep Rogers on the ground, he should get him there early and often, and consistently look for the stoppage victory while doing so.

So that’s what I think, fans and friends. What about you? Do you see Antonio Silva winning it all? And if you do, what do you think he’ll have to do in order to beat his many possible opponents?