Anderson "The Spider" Silva is the most prolific middleweight champion the mixed martial arts world has ever seen. Stringing together seven consecutive title defenses, without so much as having an ounce of trouble doing it, and even going above his own weight class to dominate former champions there, he can seemingly do no wrong. After his seventh title defense is negatively received, however, he finds himself challenged by a new, brash contender named Chael Sonnen, and we bare witness to the behind the scenes footage for what turns out to be one of the most talked about matches in UFC, or MMA, history.
That bit of silliness aside, I've been waiting for several years to catch this documentary, and I'm glad that it didn't disappoint. I've had mixed feelings myself about Silva over the years, but this does convey him as not an arrogant fighting god, but rather a humble, grateful, and strongly family-oriented human being. Silva isn't treating this fight as a joke, and even through the glimpses we catch of his bout with Demian Maia (the man he defeated by unanimous decision prior to the first Sonnen fight), we begin to understand his own comments and philosophy towards the art of fighting. There's even a segment midway through Like Water where we see Silva's own skills as a coach on hand for fellow Black House fighter Damaso "Dan Dan" Pereira.
Silva himself isn't the only one humanized in the film's seventy six minute running time (which is criminally short for such a fascinating individual), as we also see focus on Silva's longtime manager and friend Ed Soares, who himself sometimes struggles with the champ's growing frustration with what can be simply referred to as "repetitive media questions." Soares is portrayed in a more positive light than UFC President Dana White, who appears briefly to comment on the champion's history and his own occasional frustrations with him. Hell, even Chael Sonnen isn't portrayed nearly as bad as one might think.
For those who have seen the now infamous battle between Silva and Sonnen, this might disappoint you, as while it may give you chills, this isn't exactly a biographical documentary on the Brazilian. True, we learn about his life growing up briefly, and we catch glimpses of his family and social life, but the primary focus is the buildup to the fight. I personally would have liked to see some footage of Anderson's tenure in the now defunct PRIDE FC, where he had two very notable defeats that almost had him hanging up the gloves for a teaching job, or to learn what led to him leaving Chute Boxe, the legendary Brazilian camp that spawned a murderer's row of champions.
Like Water is ultimately very satisfying to watch though, even if you don't particularly care for this oftentimes brutal sport. It showcases the very real issues and discipline involved that, sadly, is still sometimes looked down upon by mainstream media. Obrigado.
