Anderson Silva Steps up to Fight Daniel Cormier at UFC 200

The UFC announced today that Anderson Silva will be replacing Jon Jones to fight Daniel Cormier in a three round light-heavyweight contest.

After US gambling news broke that Jon Jones was removed from UFC 200 for failing an out-of competition drug test, most expected Daniel Cormier to fight another opponent on a future card. The UFC had other plans, and announced today that the GOAT Anderson Silva will take on DC in a three round bout at light-heavyweight.

This news came as a surprise to many, especially considering Silva just undergone gall bladder surgery two months ago. According to Dana White, Anderson has recovered and has been training hard for the past month.

Daniel Cormier knows the type of challenge he will be facing Saturday night, and issued a statement to the media saying, “I am honored to share the Octagon with the one of the greatest fighters of all time, This is a very tough fight for me, and I have to fight smart and to do my best in order to win this fight. Thank you Anderson for stepping up, and thanks to Dana White and the UFC for making this happen. Now let’s go do this.”

What are the Keys to Victory for Each Man?

At first glance, it would appear Cormier has a clear advantage over the aging Anderson Silva. DC’s past two fights have been wins over light-heavyweight monsters, and he has been training for months to take on the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet. He will surely look to take Silva to the mat and unleash his ferocious ground attacks.

Silva, meanwhile, has only one win in his last four fights (now a no-contest) over Nick Diaz, and has appeared to be slowing down as he gets higher in age. He showed flashes of brilliance in his fight with Michael Bisping, but failed to pull the trigger and lost a close unanimous decision. The legendary Anderson Silva will try to keep the fight standing and knock Cormier out with his dangerous arsenal of striking techniques.

It has been a crazy week in MMA, but UFC 200 finally seems to be set. It will be fascinating to see how Silva can handle the wrestling of Cormier, and whether DC can implement the same game plan he had planned for Jon Jones. Only time will tell.

What do you think? Will Silva pull off a historic upset by defeating Daniel Cormier? Will any more fights drop out before Saturday? Leave your comments below, and make sure to check out GamingZion’s list of online sportsbooks in the US to find the best websites offering betting lines on UFC 200!