UFC 117 Preview: How Does Anderson Silva Compare To Other Athletes Currently At the Pinnacle of Their Sports?

If anyone disputed Anderson Silva's place as the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA over the past couple of years, their position became almost indefensible with Fedor Emelianenko's loss to Fabricio Werdum. Silva has been invincible for the past five years across two weight classes (both of which are higher than where he started his career) against championship-caliber fighters and opponents of various skill sets.

His wins over Rich Franklin equate to Fedor's wins over Minotauro Noguiera in that if neither Silva nor the Last Emperor came along, Franklin and Noguiera likely would've overseen legendary reigns atop their divisions. Silva decisively beat a man who might be one of the ten greatest MMA fighters of all time (Dan Henderson) and flat-out embarrassed a former champion of the weight class above him (Forrest Griffin). Despite what fans may think about his petulant antics in recent fights, the most important thing to realize is that he can act that way simply because he outclasses the man across the cage from him.

Silva's case for being the greatest fighter in MMA today is sterling and perhaps the only challenge it receives is from the peanut gallery of George St. Pierre supporters huddled in the corner. But the question I want to ask extends beyond the little world of MMA. How does Anderson Silva compare to the "top dogs" of other sports? I take into account obvious factors, such as that Silva doesn't take his teammates in the Octagon to compete with him and he doesn't have playoffs. It is, however, impossible to reach a consensus on whether such extraneous factors enhance or harm his status. So, without further ado, let's begin by comparing him to the most controversial figure in all of sports today.

In basketball, LeBron James is widely regarded as the best player in the game today. He drives to the basket with the force of a hurricane, is a wizard in distribution, and even defends well. If he polished his mid-range jumper, he'd be nigh unstoppable. But one thing Silva has that James doesn't is gold. In terms of legacy in each man's respective sport, if they both retired today Silva's would be far greater. I could bring up Kobe, but I'll equate him to GSP for the time being. Kobe definitely has the gold over Lebron, but if they went one-on-one I'm taking Prince James. GSP, in my opinion, has a better record than Silva, but I still believe Silva to be the superior fighter.

In baseball, Albert Pujols rises to the top of my list. He doesn't have as wide a gap over his competition as, say, Ken Griffey Jr. in the 1990s, but it's still widely accepted that he is the greatest offensive threat in MLB. His position, first base, isn't exactly the Hot Corner, but he still fields it quite well. He's locked down three MVP awards and has a World Series ring with St. Louis. I downplay Alex Rodriguez for all those years he failed to deliver in clutch situations; I also discount pitchers since they only play one fifth of the season (Not an insult-I used to pitch, myself). Pujols can hit for average, hit for power, and drive in runs in any situation. I would say he's as dangerous at the plate as Anderson Silva is standing up. And, just as Silva's BJJ is more than adequate but not world-class, Pujols has a competent glove but won't strike up any comparisons to Ozzie Smith. I think Silva takes the edge in "gold", but Pujols could draw even with another ring or two.

American Football is a bit more difficult because each position has such specialized requirements and duties. If I had to pick one man above all else, however, I'd opt for Peyton Manning. Manning has sustained a remarkably high level despite the constant upheaval around him, quite unusual in the era of salary caps and free agency (Silva himself has gone from Chute Boxe to Brazilian Top Team and now the Black House stable). Every season finds Manning on the shortlist of MVP candidates, whilst having his team in the hunt for the Super Bowl. As to the Super Bowl, he's won once of the two times he's been there. But, I have to hold against him the fact that he essentially nailed shut his own team's coffin in this year's Super Bowl. Silva, despite the frequent childishness he exhibits, hasn't been in danger once since arriving in the UFC.

Admittedly, I don't know much about hockey. It would seem, however, that Sidney Crosby is Silva's equivalent, with a Stanley Cup, an Olympic gold medal, and an MVP to his name.

My comparison in boxing may surprise you. Rather than Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao, I think Silva equates to Wladimir Klitchsko. No one has come close to beating Klitchsko in years and it seems no one else will hold the heavyweight title until he retires. Much like Silva, his less-than-stellar losses (Corrie Sanders, cough-cough) are far enough back in his past to almost be negligible. Now, if Silva could find himself a Hayden Pannetiere...

Golf is a tough one for me. It'd seem obvious to compare Silva to Tiger Woods, but Woods' golf game seems to be struggling terribly in the wake of his familial fiasco late last year. At the start of 2009, I'd make the comparison without hesitation. Now, I'm not so sure. Tiger is really the only name that stands out besides Phil Mickelson, and Tiger's accomplishments dwarf Lefty's. I'd say on the whole, Tiger has been more dominant that Anderson Silva. If his slump continues, however, I wouldn't hesitate to push the Brazilian ahead.

NASCAR seems to have the most parallels to MMA. A team works to put together a solid car for race day and then it's up to the driver to deliver on Sunday. Silva is MMA's Jimmy Johnson. Once Johnson broke through to the championship level, no one has since been able to catch up to him. I'd say Silva and Johnson are fairly even in terms of dominance, but Johnson is in an era of multiple elite drivers (Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, et al.) compared to Silva's middleweight division, which is widely regarded as one of the thinnest in MMA.

Soccer is just plain easy. Silva matches up beautifully with Lionel Messi. Both are sublimely talented artists who have a flair for innovation as well as supreme mastery of the striking game (pun alert). Though Silva's personality might match up more with fellow prima donna Cristano Ronaldo, it is the reigning World Footballer of the Year Messi-for his 2009 Treble with Barcelona-who stands most even. I and so many others watch Silva and Messi in the expectation that we could witness something never before seen, something so dynamic that it transcends the sport.

So, MMA For Realers, who do you pick from outside the world of MMA that matches up best with Anderson Silva? Remember, this is just for fun, so don't let your fanboy panties get all in a wad over some of my choices. I eagerly look forward to your own comparisons in the comments.