If mothers really do know best, Stephan Bonnar could be in a lot of trouble against Anderson Silva at UFC 153.
On Saturday night, Bonnar will enter the Octagon as a 13-to-1 underdog. It’s easy to write off most fighters when considering those odds, but Bonnar isn’t like most fighters.
His heart knows no bounds.
Minus two cut stoppages, Bonnar has never been knocked out or submitted in his 11-year career, and he has competed against some of the biggest names in the sport. Win or lose, no one has ever had an easy road through Stephan Bonnar.
What makes this fight any different?
There could be no difference at all. Bonnar could get trounced in a respectable display of perseverance, or his heart could carry him to the biggest upset in UFC history.
Unfortunately, the man standing across the cage from him doesn’t leave much room for hope. Bonnar‘s own mother even recognizes the otherworldly talent of Silva, who is quite possibly the greatest fighter in MMA history.
“She cares a lot and knows how good Anderson Silva is, and she was like, ‘Don’t accept the fight. You’ll be killed.’ She’s always like that, “Bonnar told Tatame.com at the open UFC 153 workouts on Wednesday.
Perhaps, the underdog role could play out as a major advantage for Bonnar.
There is no pressure. All Bonnar has to do is show up and fight his fight. The pressure is all on Silva. As the UFC middleweight champ and top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, a loss to Bonnar would put a permanent stain on his legacy.
Fans flock to MMA due to the unpredictable nature of the sport. Major upsets have happened in the past, and they will continue to occur in the future.
Could fans be in store for the biggest upset in history on Saturday?
“[Against Silva], I think a lot of guys feel the pressure. They are frightened and get tense, unable to get comfortable,” said Bonnar. “I will fight my usual fight. I am not under any pressure.”
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