Despite UFC 153 loss, Jon Fitch and Dana White impressed with Erick Silva

Saturday's UFC 153 card in Rio de Janeiro was billed as being about Anderson, but Erick was the Silva on plenty of minds heading into the card.

Erick Silva had torn through all three of his UFC opponents before his meeting with Jon Fitch, and only a controversial disqualification against Carlo Prater in January stood between him and a 3-0 UFC record.

But Fitch stood right in front of the Silva hype train, and if he didn't send it off the track, he at least slowed it down

LINK

I thought the loss spoke worlds about Silva, much moreso than a quick KO like how Hendricks did Fitch would tell us. Silva needs a top 20 guy, preferably a wrestler so that he can build himself up to the top wrestlers in the division.

I think Silva will end up having a fine career.

He did great considering who he fought. Fitch was too much too soon. Going from Brenneman to Fitch is a huge leap in competition. I'd love to see them build him up a little more. I agree with him fighting more wrestlers.

Erick really impressed me in that fight. I thought he was all hype and flash but he was so close to having me eat crow. IMO the main thing he needs to improve his cardio as it looked like he had nothing left once the 3rd round started. The rest of his game will come into form. I think DHK/Thiago loser would be a good test for him...maybe even Dan Miller.

Hathaway or Story could be good wrestling tests for him

In my eyes, there's no shame in losing to Fitch the way he did. He threatened on the ground and lost a decision. He will be back, better than ever

---

Posted by prophecy033

In my eyes, there's no shame in losing to Fitch the way he did. He threatened on the ground and lost a decision. He will be back, better than ever

---

Plus a little work on his cardio.

---

Posted by BuffaloDave

---

Posted by prophecy033

In my eyes, there's no shame in losing to Fitch the way he did. He threatened on the ground and lost a decision. He will be back, better than ever

---

Plus a little work on his cardio.

---

Honestly, I don't think his cardio is that bad, he just swung for the fences and blew his wad on subs. Those subs he had would have succumbed any mere mortal, but Fitch eats submissions for breakfast.

---

Posted by warglory

---

Posted by BuffaloDave

---

Posted by prophecy033

In my eyes, there's no shame in losing to Fitch the way he did. He threatened on the ground and lost a decision. He will be back, better than ever

---

Plus a little work on his cardio.

---

Honestly, I don't think his cardio is that bad, he just swung for the fences and blew his wad on subs. Those subs he had would have succumbed any mere mortal, but Fitch eats submissions for breakfast.

---

I tend to agree with this, and would add that anyone fighting Fitch is prone to gassing because of his grinding style, ie having to carry his weight for long portions of the fight.

There were things that I saw that I didn't like. A few mistakes that may have kept him from finishing Fitch in the 2nd. When he had Fitch's back, he didn't lock in the body triangle to restrict breathing and maintain position. And when Fitch was fighting hands while in the choke, Silva didn't try to go palm to palm. Obviously this is easy for me to criticize from the sidelines and not being in the fight, but those are the necessary little things that are needed to beat a guy like Fitch in that situation.

Fitch's grit and experience won him that fight.