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.
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