When London calls, Anderson Silva answers

Esther Lin, MMA FightingAnderson Silva will fight Michael Bisping in Bisping's backyard Saturday, but London isn’t the terrifying place it was back in 2004.

Silva was not the dominant mixed martial artist back in those days. With a 13-2 record, he was on the verge of winning the first belt of his career, but had to travel to England and beat Lee Murray in enemy territory. He had fought Japanese fighters on their home turf at PRIDE, but Murray in London was as enemy territory as it could get.

"Lightning" Murray was the star of the show. After compiling an 8-1-1 record, capped off by a first-round submission over Jorge Rivera at UFC 46, he earned a shot at the vacant Cage Rage middleweight…