It's hard to put a finger on why he plummeted so quickly and uncontrollably. At 33, Wanderlei is clearly not over the hill. Some argue that Mirko Cro Cop's high kick knockout of him about three years ago damaged his psyche. Some theorize that the rules changes from PRIDE to the UFC hurt him.

What's next for Wanderlei? He's got something great going for him. He has a lot of credit with true MMA fans after owning the last decade. Although the UFC often drops fighters who lose a lot, they'll probably retain Silva because they know he's a draw.

This may sound crazy, but a good next fight for Wanderlei would be a rematch with Chuck Liddell, who is on a similar downward spiral.

He's lost four out of his last fights. Wanderlei and Chuck's spirited battle in 2007 deserves a rematch. Their longtime rivalry and compelling matchup style-wise warrants another fight.

It'll be interesting to see what the UFC decides to do with the both of them.

David Estrada Jr. is a Mixed Martial Arts columnist for the News. He can be e-mailed at DavidEstrada@DavidEstrada.com