UFC 183 blog: Anderson Silva makes comeback a success, beats Nick Diaz

By Case Keefer (contact)

Published Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 | 7 p.m.

Updated Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015 | 10:29 p.m.

Find full results of the preliminary card at the bottom of the page.

Overtaken by emotions, Anderson Silva reacted in an assortment of ways.

He leapt over the top of the UFC 183 cage before eventually collapsing to the mat and, ultimately, getting back on his feet where he stood frozen and tearing up. The greatest fighter in UFC history nabbed a victory in his comeback, recording a win for the first time in two and a half years Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Silva defeated Nick Diaz by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 49-46) in the evening’s pay-per-view main event.

“I had to go through a lot of suffering to get here,” Silva said while still in the octagon. “At first, I didn’t know if I could make it.”

No one did. An injury like the one Silva, 38, suffered against Chris Weidman in December 2013 had the look of a career-ender.

Silva snapped his tibia and fibula, and required immediate surgery and a minimum of a year’s worth of recovery time. “The Spider” stuck to the most optimistic timetable and still beat another established star.

Silva showed no hesitation using his repaired leg to kick Diaz both high and low, one of many differences in the fight. Silva also out-boxed Diaz and refused to get drawn into the brawl the 31-year-old craved.

From the opening round, Diaz taunted Silva by putting his hands down and yelling at him.

“I was saying, ‘Let’s go. Come get you some,’” Diaz said.

Silva was not only unaffected but also unbothered.

“This is a great show for the people,” Silva said. “This is not a bad man.”

UFC 183 fans got their money’s worth with an action-packed card preceding Silva’s victory. A huge comeback from locally based Miesha Tate, who was nearly knocked out by Sara McMann in the first round, started a run of four consecutive memorable fights.

Tate out-grappled McMann in the final half of the fight to pick up a majority-decision win (29-28, 29-27, 28-28), setting the stage for Thiago Alves and Thales Leites to mount comebacks of their own.

Alves beat Jordan Mein with a kick to the body 37 seconds into the second round after losing the first. Leites submitted Boetsch with an arm triangle at 3:45 of the second round after suffering an early knockdown.

The first round between lightweights Joe Lauzon and Al Iaquinta was extremely close, but the second wasn’t. Iaquinta tagged Lauzon repeatedly to pick up the biggest win of his young career, taking a TKO at 3:34 of the second round.

In the co-main event, Tyron Woodley slid past Kelvin Gastelum by split decision (30-27, 29-28, 28-29) in a slow-paced bout. Silva and Diaz wound up just as plodding, though the first two rounds were explosive.

Both fighters bashed each other with punches and kicks, though neither Diaz nor Silva was ever seriously hurt. Every scorecard had Silva comfortably ahead, but Diaz believed he did enough for the victory.

“I thought I won every round,” Diaz said. “I was coming forward every round … but these judges don’t like my attitude in here sometimes.”

Neither Silva nor Diaz committed to any further fights with their future constantly in question.

Come back to lasvegassun.com later for full coverage and find the live blog below.

Locally based women's bantamweight Miesha Tate may have notched one of the best comebacks in UFC history. After getting beat up for the first eight minutes, Tate out-grappled Sara McMann to win a majority decision (29-27, 29-28, 28-28) that was very much in doubt early.

The walkouts lasted three times longer than the fight between middleweights Derek Brunson and Ed Herman. Brunson destroyed Herman, knocking him out in 36 seconds with two consecutive straight lefts flush to the chin.

John Lineker defeated Ian McCall by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28) in a catchweight (130) — moved from flyweight after Lineker missed weight — bout that's in the running for Fight of the Night. Lineker got taken down in the first round but outstruck McCall in the final 10 minutes and opened a deep cut on the former No. 1 contender's face.

Rafael Natal gave the large Brazilian contingent something to cheer for while Tom Watson provided something worth a cringe in a middleweight bout. Natal won a unanimous-decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) over Watson, who suffered a foot injury in the first round that noticeably swelled up a few inches.

A featherweight bout between Diego Brandon and Jimy Hettes was scrapped when Hettes fell ill backstage and had to be transported to the hospital.

In a slow middleweight fight that drew a chorus of boos as it laboriously dragged on, the judges declared Ildemar Alcantara a split-decision (29-28, 29-28, 28-29) winner over fellow Brazilian Richardson Moreiera.

Thiago Santos took care of business in no time to start the night. Santos swarmed and hurt Andy Enz, finishing via TKO at 1:56 of the first round.

Case Keefer can be reached at 948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.