It was difficult to watch Silva get knocked unconcious for two consecutive fights. I've been a fan of "The Axe Murderer" for the last four years or so. What won me over is Silva's willingness to put it all on the line each time he entered the ring. Sure, his aggressive style is exciting to watch, but it's his courage in the ring that separates him from other top strikers like Mirko "Cro Cop" and Chuck Liddell, both known for folding like chairs when faced with adversity in the ring and switching to "survival mode." When Chuck Liddell was getting outpunched and outmuscled by Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Liddell resigned to just laying on the canvas and taking a beating without offering anything in return until the referee stopped the fight. When the one-trick-pony, Mirko Filipovic realized that his high kick wasn't going to do him any good against Fedor Emelianenko, he resorted to running and surviving. Survival for the sake of survival is never part of Silva's fight plan. He will seek to destroy or get destroyed himself in the process. Many times there comes a point in a fight where one of the combatants realizes he can't win or his opponent is too strong for him. Once they reach that conclusion their whole demeanor changes and they start fighting to not get knocked out instead of fighting to win. Silva always fights to win. He could've chosen to run around the ring against Cro Cop, especially after his eye was shut. Instead he threw caution at the wind and got knocked out.

Nobody ever accused Dan Henderson of being a bad fighter. He's probably one of the most underrated and he proved this past Saturday that he belongs at the very top. Several factors were involved in Silva's destruction at the hands of Dan Henderson. First of all, Henderson has greatly improved in the last five years and has become craftier. Secondly, Henderson is hungry and is probably in his prime. Finally, Silva is past his prime and definitely not as sharp as he once was. But after watching the replays of the fight, it finally dawned on me that under the rules of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Silva's greatest weapons are not allowed; knees to the head of an opponent on all fours, and kicks to the head of a downed opponent. On one particular occasion Silva was sprawled over Henderson, in perfect position to land his vicious knees on the top of Henderson's head. Had Silva been allowed to throw knees at that moment, the fight without a doubt, would've ended differently, with Silva being the winner. Of course, with the way Silva fought during the first two rounds, it would be easy to dismiss the knee factor. To be fair, Dan Henderson was having his way. But it doesn't change the fact that Silva was handicapped in that fight. Silva's knee strikes towards his opponent's head on all fours, has been Silva's most lethal arsenal. His knees strikes in that position are legendary. Taking that away from Silva will be the equivalent of not allowing Dan Henderson to throw punches in the standup position.

Sadly, the records will still show that Henderson KO'd Silva. It will not mention the handicap that Silva was fighting with. Henderson fans will not care. Rules are rules, that's all there is to it. But the fact will remain that Henderson's victory was not against the real Wanderlei Silva, who would've easily knocked him out had knees on the ground been allowed.