Author: Ben Chodos

Silva vs Sonnen: Top Fighters Who Spider Should Get in the Cage with Next

Anderson Silva knocked out Chael Sonnen in the main event at UFC 148 and proved that he is still the best fighter in the world, but now he needs to decide who will be his next opponent. The Silva vs. Sonnen fight was billed as the biggest bout in UFC h…

Anderson Silva knocked out Chael Sonnen in the main event at UFC 148 and proved that he is still the best fighter in the world, but now he needs to decide who will be his next opponent.

The Silva vs. Sonnen fight was billed as the biggest bout in UFC history. Silva did not pay much attention to the hype and ended the Sonnen’s challenge just 1:55 into the second round.

The 37-year-old Brazilian destroyed the top contender and now a new crop will vie for his title.

Here are the three fighters who Silva should consider for his next fight.

 

Mark Muñoz

After Sonnen’s defeat, Muñoz must be considered the top contender in the middleweight class.

The 34-year-old is 12-2 in his career and is set to go against Chris Weidman on July 11. Barring an upset, Muñoz will emerge from that fight as the consensus No. 2 in the middleweight class. 

“The Filipino Wrecking Machine” is known for his ground-and-pound skills, which is an ideal strategy to use against Silva. No fighter in the world is quick enough to withstand Silva’s striking ability, so the ground game is an opponent’s only hope. 

When Spider gets in the cage again, it should be against Muñoz.

 

Michael Bisping

Bisping lost his most recent fight to Sonnen, otherwise he likely would have fought Silva in UFC 148. 

Silva, Sonnen, Muñoz and Bisping make up the top-tier of middleweight fighters and the 33-year-old Brit would be a worthy opponent. Going into UFC 148, these were the top four fighters, in the order listed, according to Sherdog.

It is difficult to imagine Silva losing to either Muñoz or Bisping, but these two offer the best competition in the weight class. 

Bisping is a seasoned fighter and he could at least put up a better fight than Sonnen did in his second crack at Silva.

 

Jon Jones

Jones is a light heavyweight, but he is the only fighter alive who has the skills to defeat Silva.

This fight may just be a fan’s fantasy, but ESPN’s Chuck Mindenhall outlines the reason why it could and should happen. 

The UFC has hinted of a mega-event in January, possibly at Dallas Cowboys Stadium. The greatest MMA champion in history could be available, along with the greatest phenom the sport has seen. The fact that they are both fighting in the UFC right now, that they’re greatness and timetables can intersect — well, that should be reason enough for the fans to get behind it. 

Silva is 37, so their timetables will not intersect for much longer. There is only one truly worthy opponent for Silva in MMA fighting today. If both Silva and Jones want the undisputed title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, they must get in the cage against each other. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Silva vs Sonnen: Why Spider Will Dominate Fight Despite Sonnen’s Tough Talk

Anderson Silva is the best pound-for-pound mixed-martial-arts fighter in the world, and Chael Sonnen will lose to the champion once again at UFC 148.  This is the second time the two have met, with the first bout coming at UFC 117, in August of 20…

Anderson Silva is the best pound-for-pound mixed-martial-arts fighter in the world, and Chael Sonnen will lose to the champion once again at UFC 148. 

This is the second time the two have met, with the first bout coming at UFC 117, in August of 2010. 

The challenger had some choice words about Silva’s status as the top fighter in the world and said the following to John Canzano on AM 750, a sports radio station in Portland, Ore.:

They told us for years when I was growing up that Mike Tyson was the best in the world… He never made a world or Olympic team and he could never beat Evander Holyfield…They just kept him away from him and lied to the entire planet and told them he was the best when he wasn’t. It’s a lot like that with Anderson. I’ve been telling him for six years I’m the best but he’s got to hold onto the championship. They kept putting obstacles in front of me and I kept having to go through them.

Sonnen gave Silva an extremely tough test. Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports broke down the stats from that fight. 

Sonnen landed 320 strikes against Silva, more than any other fight since Royce Gracie landed 355 strikes on Ken Shamrock in a 36-minute fight at UFC 5. Entering the bout with Sonnen at UFC 117, Silva had only absorbed 166 strikes from 11 opponents.

But all that punching and kicking was for nothing in the end, as Silva got Sonnen on the ground and forced him to tap out with a triangle armbar. If Sonnen had lasted just 1:50 longer, he would have easily won the fight on points. 

This time around, Silva will be much more prepared for Sonnen. 

At UFC 112, Silva’s fight immediately preceding his first matchup with Sonnen, the Brazilian took on Demian Maia and defeated him handily. However, Silva controversially taunted his opponent and even appeared to take rounds off. 

Silva’s antics were reflective of a fighter who had become cocky and lost focus. But the beating he took at the hands of Sonnen humbled him, and it showed in the subsequent fights. 

Silva knocked out Vitor Balfour in the first round of UFC 126 and won by technical knockout against Yushin Okami in the second round of UFC 134. 

When Silva is focused and in the right mindset, he is unbeatable. He has no flaws as a fighter.

He is faster and quicker than Sonnen and is just as good on the ground as he is standing up. Silva is the best fighter in the world, regardless of Sonnen’s claims.

The Brazilian will prove that tonight.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com